Sleeping badly on the odd night is perfectly normal, but if you’re regularly having issues getting enough rest, you could be experiencing insomnia. This common sleep disorder’s symptoms include struggling to fall asleep, or stay asleep, waking up too early and feeling tired during the course of the following day.
And if that sounds like you, you’re not alone. The American Medical Association estimates that 25 to 30 million people in the US are experiencing insomnia at any one time.
Frustratingly, there isn’t any one single cause. Insomnia can originate from psychological factors like anxiety and depression, or physical conditions such as chronic pain, hormonal imbalances and sleep apnea, says board-certified psychiatrist Jasmine Sawhne, MD. “It could also be attributed to lifestyle factors like irregular sleep schedules and stimulant use, including coffee, drugs or prescription medications.”
But how much damage do sleepless nights cause? A lot. “Chronic insomnia disrupts emotional regulation, worsens psychiatric conditions like depression and anxiety, and increases the risk of cognitive decline, suicidality, and substance use due to its impact on neurotransmitter balance and the stress response system,” Dr. Sawhne says.
Here, we explore how to avoid insomnia in the first place, the causes of this sleep disorder and what to do if you are experiencing it.
How to avoid insomnia
It’s possible to experience short-term, or ‘acute’ insomnia (for days or weeks) and long-term, or ‘chronic’ insomnia (for more than three months), but good sleep habits and healthy daytime practices can make a big difference. Here are expert- and science-approved ways to avoid insomnia.
1. Create a consistent sleep schedule
When your sleep and wake times are all over the place, you’re more likely to suffer from insomnia. That could be due to your work schedule — research shows that shift workers are more likely to experience this sleep disorder — or circumstantial if you’re traveling, or have a demanding social calendar.
“Sticking to a consistent sleep schedule—going to bed and waking up simultaneously every day—helps regulate your body’s internal clock,” says Joshua Sprung, therapist, MSW, at Southeast Addiction Center in Tennessee. “The key is consistency—good habits practiced regularly can help prevent insomnia before it starts.”
2. Mind the room temperature
Ever wake up in the middle of the night because you were hot and sweating? Same. That’s because a room that’s too warm can increase your core temperature and contribute to insomnia. In fact, our body temperature naturally drops at night, signalling our body to produce melatonin, the hormone responsible for making us feel sleepy.
“There are optimal temperatures to induce sleep; you don’t want your bedroom to be too cool or hot,” says Ozan Toy, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer at Telapsychiatry. “Most men and women ideally need to sleep in temperature range from 67 to 70 degrees.”
This can change as we age, however. Some studies say the room temperature should be between 68 and 77 for older adults. Experiment with cooler temperatures and sleep quality and go from there. (You might want to looking into the best cooling mattresses if waking up hot is a frequent issue.)
If you have one of the best smart thermostats, you can program the temperature to dip around your bedtime and while you sleep, and turn on to warm up right before you wake up.
3. Get physical activity
Research has shown that adults who experience insomnia are typically exercising less than those who are well slept, and some research has indicated that being active can help reduce insomnia.
Aerobic activity causes the body to release endorphins, and it can improve the amount of slow wave (deep) sleep you get. It also helps with mood regulation, which in turn helps you get to sleep more easily.
Some small studies have found that practicing Tai Chi and/or yoga helped improve the sleep quality of people with chronic insomnia. Read our guide on how to exercise for better sleep if you think this could help you.
4. Practice healthy ways to relax
A frantic “monkey mind” (the Buddhist term for a restless mind) can certainly make it hard to fall asleep and might kickstart back into action if you find yourself awake in the middle of the night.
“There is no single cause of insomnia — often, it is a mix of physical, psychological, and environmental factors,” says Sprung. “Stress and anxiety are some of the biggest triggers, as an overactive mind can make it hard to relax at night.”
If you’ve ever had a few nights of poor sleep and weren’t sure what caused it, you can understand that the worry about not sleeping makes insomnia worse, creating a frustrating cycle of stress and sleeplessness, says Sprung.
“A relaxing bedtime routine, like reading, taking a warm bath, or practicing deep breathing, can help signal your brain that it is time to wind down,” he says.
5. Give your bedroom a glow up
Could a lumpy or sagging mattress be causing your insomnia? Maybe. External factors like noise, light exposure and an uncomfortable bed can all play a role. Consider buying blackout curtains to make your room at dark as possible, using a noise machine to drown out ambient sounds and wearing ear plugs.
If you think it’s time for a new mattress, explore our guide to the best mattresses of 2025 for the right bed for your sleep style and preferences.
Making these small changes to create the right sleep environment — keeping your bedroom dark, quiet, and calm — can really improve your sleep quality.
6. Pay attention to your diet
Dr. Toy suggests avoiding stimulants like caffeine after 12 p.m. and avoiding alcohol before bed as healthy sleep hygiene practices to help avoid insomnia. Caffeine can interfere with melatonin production as it stays in your system for hours after consumption.
Alcohol can make you feel relaxed at first but will likely cause you to wake up as it’s metabolized; sometimes leading to an inability to fall back asleep.
What causes insomnia?
Some of the most common causes of insomnia are psychological factors and environmental influences (like exposure to blue light, noise, light). If you regularly experience anxiety or depression, or have high stress levels your risk of insomnia increases.
Other physical health conditions can also make you more predisposed to insomnia, like chronic pain, hormonal imbalances, health issues like sleep apnea or medications.
How to get rid of insomnia
Even if you’ve tried all of the tips above to avoid insomnia, you may still experience the disorder and you’re probably wondering how to make the issue disappear.
Mild insomnia can be managed through lifestyle changes and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), says Dr. Toy.
How long should you wait before seeking help? If insomnia persists for more than three nights per week over several weeks, causes significant distress or daytime dysfunction, or is linked to an underlying medical or psychiatric condition, I suggest seeking a psychiatric evaluation,” advises Dr. Sawhne.
“Seeking professional help from a sleep specialist is recommended if you’re experiencing these sleep struggles for a few weeks,” suggests Dr. Toy. “It might be necessary to have a formal sleep study done or to consider medications to help with insomnia.”
