insomniac

[in-som-nee-ak]

noun

1. a person who has or experiences insomnia, the inability, especially when chronic, to obtain sufficient sleep, through difficulty in falling or staying asleep.

   Her husband, an insomniac, had at last fallen asleep at the computer, head resting on the keyboard.

adjective

1. having insomnia.

   a nervous, insomniac person.

   Synonyms: wide-awake, insomnolent, wakeful, awake, sleepless

2. of, relating to, or causing insomnia.

   long, torturous, insomniac nights.

Other Word Forms

• anti-insomniac adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of insomniac¹

First recorded in 1905–10; insomni(a) + -ac

Example Sentences

I also like to listen to lullaby music, which makes me sound like a fetus, but it helps me get over my insomniac tendencies.

From Los Angeles Times

Get an insomniac friend to come over to your house and poke you with a stick.

From BBC

But honestly, it’s the time before college that can turn even the most stoic, no-nonsense parent into an insomniac mess.

From Los Angeles Times

Will’s sandy blond hair is receding a bit, and his eyes have an insomniac’s circles.

From Salon

Coming Friday from England to Apple TV+, “Still Up” is a romantic comedy about a pair of London insomniacs who keep in touch through the night by smartphone and laptop.

From Los Angeles Times

When To Use

What does insomniac mean?​

An insomniac is someone who experiences insomnia—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. People are more likely to be called (or call themselves) insomniacs when the condition is chronic.Less commonly, insomniac can be used as an adjective that can mean having insomnia, related to insomnia, or causing insomnia.Example: I was an insomniac for years before finding the right medication and sleep regimen.