INSOMNIA Synonyms: 7 Similar and Opposite Words

insomnia

noun

in-ˈsäm-nē-ə

Definition of insomnia

as in restlessness

the inability to obtain adequate sleep has suffered from insomnia virtually his entire life

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of insomnia In fact, clinical studies have found that drinking tart cherry juice may improve sleep duration and quality, particularly in older adults and people with insomnia. — Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 17 Aug. 2026 Patrick Clancy testified that Lindsay Clancy repeatedly sought care from psychiatrists and medical professionals for her worsening insomnia and postpartum depression and anxiety from September 2022 to January 2023. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026 Clancy looked up suicide methods, bipolar disorder and insomnia at the end of December 2022 and, in January, went in search of information on postpartum depression. — Michael Casey, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026 Clancy’s psychiatrist already took the stand to discuss the defendant’s anxiety in September, which turned into insomnia in October, after she was prescribed the anti-depressant Zoloft. — Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for insomnia

Recent Examples of Synonyms for insomnia

Noun

For movement issues, a mattress with better motion isolation can make a partner’s restlessness far less noticeable.

— Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026
Symptoms Symptoms can include sleeplessness, extreme worry about the baby or childbirth, restlessness and a racing heartbeat.

— Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of restlessness

Noun

Orexins help regulate wakefulness, as well as attention, motivation and the brain’s reward system.

— Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 20 Aug. 2026
But in people with narcolepsy, such boundaries become blurred, allowing elements of sleep to intrude into wakefulness in varying ways.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 8 July 2026

Definition of wakefulness

Noun

Symptoms Symptoms can include sleeplessness, extreme worry about the baby or childbirth, restlessness and a racing heartbeat.

— Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
When a roadside bomb struck his Humvee convoy months later, the explosion’s shock wave swept through his body before headaches and sleeplessness set in for days.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of sleeplessness

Noun

To achieve this, the locus coeruleus continuously alternates between tonic activity—governing baseline arousal and alertness—and brief phasic bursts that focus attention on critical events.

— Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
During the campaign, candidates are in a state of constant alertness.

— Max Taves, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of alertness

Browse Nearby Words

insolvents

insomnia

insomniac

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“Insomnia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insomnia. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of insomnia

noun

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