How do you know if you have insomnia? Insomnia is a condition which is specifically defined in  the DSMIV (the list of rules used to diagnose psychological illnesses). The current DSM version required the following conditions be met:

• For at least a month, the patient’s main complaint has been trouble going to sleep, trouble staying asleep, or feeling unrested.
• The insomnia causes daytime fatigue or impairs daytime functioning.
• The insomnia (or its daytime results) causes clinically important distress or impairs work, social, or personal functioning.
• Although it is serious enough to warrant clinical attention, the clinician believes that another Axis I or II disorder (such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, or Adjustment Disorder) causes it.
• Another sleep disorder (such as a parasomnia, Narcolepsy, or Breathing-Related Sleep Disorder) does not explain the symptoms better.
• The insomnia is not directly caused by a general medical condition or by the use of substances, including medications.