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If lack of sleep is affecting your daily activities, talk to your doctor. You may be diagnosed with insomnia if you have difficulty falling or staying asleep for at least 3 nights a week. Short-term insomnia lasts less than 3 months. Chronic insomnia lasts for 3 months or more. Your doctor may do more tests to see whether your insomnia has caused any complications.
It may be helpful to keep a sleep diary for 1 to 2 weeks before seeing your doctor. A sleep diary can help your doctor understand your sleep problem and whether certain activities are affecting your sleep. Write down when you go to sleep, wake up, and take naps each day. Also write down how sleepy you feel throughout the day, when you drink caffeine or alcohol, and when you exercise.
You can print and use the NHLBI’s sleep diary.
Your doctor will want to learn about your signs and symptoms, risk factors, health history, and family health history. To better understand your sleep problem, your doctor may have you fill out a questionnaire or ask you for details such as these about your sleep habits:
To find the cause of your sleep problems, your doctor may ask whether you:
Your doctor will do a physical exam to rule out other medical problems that might affect your sleep. He or she will listen to your heart and lungs and look for risk factors for sleep apnea, such as large tonsils or a large neck circumference.
In addition to finding out your medical history, your doctor may have you take the following tests.