Insomnia includes a wide range of sleeping disorders, from lack of quality of sleep to lack of quantity of sleep. Insomnia is commonly separated into three types:
-- Transient insomnia - occurs when symptoms lasts from a few days to some weeks.
-- Acute insomnia - also called short-term insomnia. Symptoms persist for several weeks.
-- Chronic insomnia - this type lasts for at least months, and sometimes years. According to the National Institutes of Health1, the majority of chronic insomnia cases are secondary, meaning they are side effects or symptoms of some other problem.

Although insomnia can affect people at any age, it is more common in adult females than adult males. The sleeping disorder can undermine school and work performance, as well as being a cause of obesity, anxiety, depression, irritability, concentration problems, memory problems, poor immune system function, and reduced reaction time. Insomnia has also been associated with a higher risk of developing chronic diseases.

Remedies for Insomnia
Home remedies for insomnia can be extremely helpful in dealing with insomnia, but they cannot always cure the condition. Treatment of insomnia depends on the cause, which is why it is important to seek medical attention, for a thorough diagnosis. In mild cases of insomnia or temporary insomnia you could attempt to use natural remedies for insomnia to treat the condition at home. Chronic insomnia should be investigated however. Most importantly, you should avoid any attempts at insomnia home treatment with over the counter medications and sleeping pills, as these do not work as cures for insomnia. They simply help to suppress the symptoms but do not resolve the condition and could instead create dependence and increase the severity of the problem. Here are some alternative treatments that could help address the problem:

Hypnotherapy:
This approach is widely used today in the treatment of common psychological conditions like stress and anxiety and is also used for primary insomnia treatment. Most studies into hypnotherapy and its effect on sleep have so far been positive.

Aromatherapy:
Aromatherapy is believed to help address insomnia in mild cases. This is because of the relaxing effect of aromatherapy.

Herbal Remedies:
Treatment with herbal remedies like valerian has also been found to help in some cases, but herbal medications should never be taken without the consultation of your doctor.