What condition is classified as idiopathic insomnia?

Idiopathic insomnia refers to a type of insomnia where the cause is unknown and cannot be attributed to any specific disorder or external factor. Chronic insomnia, classified under this category, is characterized by persistent difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep, which occurs at least three times per week for a duration of three months or more. In this case, while the individual experiences significant sleep disturbances, no identifiable causes or underlying medical or psychiatric conditions can explain the insomnia.

Contrasting other types of insomnia, such as transient insomnia, which lasts for a short period and is often related to stressors or changes in the environment, or family-related insomnia that may suggest a hereditary component, chronic idiopathic insomnia persists over time without a known cause. Idiopathic hypersomnia, on the other hand, involves excessive daytime sleepiness and is distinctly different from insomnia, which is characterized primarily by inadequate sleep.

Thus, chronic insomnia is the correct classification for idiopathic insomnia due to its persistent nature coupled with the absence of identifiable causes.