Insomnia is the inability to get enough sleep. But there's a difference between missing a few hours sleep here and there and having full blown insomnia. So if you're asking yourself "Do I have insomnia", here are some pointers.

1. Are you always tired?

Feeling tired all the time is often a sign of having insomnia. Often compounded by not actually being able to get to sleep even when you want to. This can be one of the signs of being an insomniac.

2. Are you always waking up in the middle of the night?

Some people manage to get off to sleep fairly easily only to wake up again a few hours later. They then spend another hour or two tossing and turning, trying harder and harder to get to sleep but not actually succeeding. If this is you, there's a chance that you're suffering from insomnia.

3. Do you wake up too early?

Be careful with your answer to this one. Although we're creatures of habit, the seasons can also have an effect on when we wake up. Bright sunny summer mornings are more likely to cause us to wake up early than dark dreary winter mornings. Anticipation of a major event can also cause us to wake up early so that we don't miss anything. But if you're always waking up hours before the alarm clock even gets close to calling time then there's a good chance that you're waking up too early.

4. Is your mind always racing?

Our minds are active things but if your mind is always chasing its own tail, running scenario after scenario and generally racing around nineteen to the dozen then that could be one of the causes of your insomnia.

5. Do you wake up unrefreshed?

Sometimes you can get what should be a good night's sleep but you actually feel more tired when you wake up than when you first retired to bed. If you have too many nights of unrefreshing sleep, that's another signal that you could be suffering from insomnia.

The more of those questions you said "yes" to, the more likely it is that you are suffering from insomnia.

Congratulations! The first step to treating anything is realizing that you're suffering from it in the first place. Next, it's worth booking an appointment to see your doctor so that they can give you some temporary relief for your symptoms whilst you work on any deeper cause. They'll also check that you're not suffering from anything more serious at the same time.