Making the Diagnosis
Since insomnia is a symptom, your doctor will want to determine what is causing it. To do this, your doctor will want to know what your sleep pattern is and how tightly you stick to the same schedule. Your doctor may ask you to keep a sleep diary for a week so they can get more information about your sleep pattern. You'll also be asked about any medications you may be taking (including herbal products and non-prescription medications), as well as nicotine use and your intake of coffee and alcohol. Your doctor will also ask you if you have any stresses in your life that might be affecting your sleep.
A general medical examination and history may provide clues about other conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or arthritis, which may be contributing to or causing insomnia. In addition, blood tests might be ordered to check for underlying medical conditions.
For some people, your doctor may refer you to a specialized sleep disorder clinic that offers diagnostic tests for insomnia such as overnight polysomnography. In this test, you sleep the night at the clinic, wired to electrodes that measure the various stages of sleep from light (stage I) to deep sleep (stage IV) as well as REM ("dream") sleep. The polysomnograph can also detect sleep apnea.