Word
insomnia
Phoneticsin·som·nia
US/ˌɪnˈsɑmniə/
UK/ɪnsˈɒmniɐ/
Definition
n. a short period when you cannot sleep, usually because you are worried or excited.
n. a temporary or situational inability to sleep, often triggered by stress, caffeine, or environmental factors.
Examples
“She suffered from insomnia for weeks before seeing a doctor.”
“Stress at work can often lead to temporary insomnia, making it difficult to focus during the day.”
“Chronic insomnia may require a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy and lifestyle adjustments to restore a healthy circadian rhythm and improve overall sleep hygiene.”
Examples
simple
“She suffered from insomnia for weeks before seeing a doctor.”
contextual
“Stress at work can often lead to temporary insomnia, making it difficult to focus during the day.”
complex
“Chronic insomnia may require a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy and lifestyle adjustments to restore a healthy circadian rhythm and improve overall sleep hygiene.”
Teaching tip
While medically a disorder, people often use 'insomnia' informally to describe just one or two bad nights of sleep.
Real-World Examples
“The most frequently reported side effects were dry mouth, nausea, insomnia, and difficulty urinating.” “They also report increased anxiety, insomnia, and suicidal thoughts when they try to come off the drug.” Etymology
Borrowed from Latin īnsomnia, from Latin in- (“without”) + somnus (“sleep”, noun) + -ia, equivalent to in- + somn- + -ia.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
The word in film
Insomnia · 2002 · Mystery
- Directed by:
- Christopher Nolan
- Starring:
- Robin Williams, Al Pacino, Hilary Swank
Christopher Nolan directs this mystery about a detective who travels to a land of constant daylight to investigate a crime. Because the sun never sets, he suffers from a severe inability to sleep that begins to affect his judgment.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/insomnia