Insomniacs' problem likely to persist

March 11, 2009 A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine finds insomnia is a persistent condition for many people. In fact, scientists found that about 75 percent of those with insomnia experience the condition for at least a year, and almost half experience it for three years.

Researchers compared people with insomnia symptoms to those who had what they termed insomnia syndrome. Meaning, they had insomnia symptoms at least three nights a week for at least a month, causing substantial distress or daytime drowsiness.

Insomnia risk factors include being female, older, having anxiety or depression and experiencing pain.