insomnia
Loading your saved state.
insomnia
The state of not being able to sleep even though you are tired. It can mean having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
Wegen des Stresses bei der Arbeit leidet er seit Wochen an Schlaflosigkeit.
Because of stress at work, he has been suffering from insomnia for weeks.
The word is built logically: it consists of 'Schlaf' (sleep), the ending '-los' (without), and the ending '-igkeit', which describes a state. So it literally means the state of being without sleep.
Die ständige Schlaflosigkeit macht ihm zu schaffen.
The constant insomnia is really getting to him.
'Schlaflosigkeit' (insomnia) is very often combined with the verb 'leiden' (to suffer) and the preposition 'an' (from). Another common phrase is 'etwas gegen die Schlaflosigkeit tun' (to do something about the insomnia).
Viele Menschen leiden an Schlaflosigkeit.
Many people suffer from insomnia.
As the name of a condition, 'Schlaflosigkeit' (insomnia) is often used without an article, especially after prepositions or when speaking generally about the problem.
Er klagt über Schlaflosigkeit.
He complains of insomnia.
sleep disorder
Schlafstörung and Schlaflosigkeit both refer to recurring problems with sleep. Schlaflosigkeit specifically means being unable to fall asleep or stay asleep despite being tired; Schlafstörung is broader and also includes non-restful sleep. Use Schlafstörung when the type of problem should remain unspecified.
Wegen meiner Schlaflosigkeit liege ich trotz großer Müdigkeit stundenlang wach.
Because of my insomnia, I lie awake for hours despite being very tired.
Der Arzt untersucht meine Schlafstörung, weil ich nachts oft wach werde und morgens nicht erholt bin.
The doctor is examining my sleep disorder because I often wake up at night and do not feel rested in the morning.
