Acute insomnia is short-term and often tied to stress, travel, illness, or life change. Chronic insomnia involves ongoing difficulty falling or staying asleep — or waking too early — at least three nights a week for three months or more, with daytime impact.
Treating acute disruption early can prevent a lasting pattern of sleep anxiety. Chronic insomnia usually needs a structured plan: evaluation of drivers, behavioral skills such as CBT-I, and medication only when appropriate.