insomnia
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What does insomnia mean? Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep for an adequate amount of time. Insomnia is often used casually to refer to occasional sleeplessness or a single instance of it. But in medical terms, insomnia typically refers to a condition involving a chronic inability to fall or stay asleep, meaning the inability is persistent and prolonged—it happens all the time. A person who experiences insomnia can be called an insomniac. Example: My insomnia gets worse when I’m under a lot of stress.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of insomnia
First recorded in 1685–95; from Latin, equivalent to insomn(is) “sleepless” ( in- in- 3 + somn(us) “sleep” + -is, adjective suffix) + -ia -ia
Explanation
A person who has trouble falling or staying asleep is suffering from insomnia. If after a hot bath, a glass of warm milk, and hours of counting sheep, you still find yourself lying wide awake in bed, it's time to admit you have insomnia. There's no cure for insomnia, but people with insomnia are advised to go to bed at the same time every night and to try to avoid stress. The noun insomnia was borrowed from Latin insomnis "sleepless," from the prefix in-, "not," plus somnus, "sleep." Somnus is actually related to Greek hypnos "sleep," the source of English words such as hypnosis and hypnotic.
Vocabulary lists containing insomnia
Psychological Conditions and Disorders
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Psychology
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Losing sales from its Insomnia Cookies stake lowered the top line.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025
Insomnia impacted Louise Mumford's life so much that it played a part in her giving up her job.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2024
Insomnia sleepers, who are characterized by sleep problems related to clinical insomnia symptoms, including short sleep duration, high daytime tiredness and a long time to fall asleep.
From Science Daily • Mar. 12, 2024
Insomnia Cookies, which operates in three countries with over 250 bakeries, is expected to deliver revenues of about $230 million in fiscal year 2023, Krispy Kreme said.
From Reuters • Oct. 3, 2023
“Did you know seventy-eight percent of the winners of the talent show have also gone on to win Insomnia Con?” she said, pausing the laptop to adjust her headband.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
