Discovery of different forms of insomnia could lead to better treatment

The sluggish start to the day, the struggle to concentrate on everyday tasks and the lethargy that comes with just a few hours sleep, these are the symptoms that will be familiar to anyone who suffers with insomnia.

But according to research, not all sleepless nights are the same. Brain scans have revealed evidence for distinct forms of insomnia, each with an associated pattern of neural wiring.

And while the clinical distinction may mean little to those whose days are blighted by sleep deprivation, the discovery does raise the prospect of tailored interventions for people with different kinds of insomnia, which could lead to better treatments.

Researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience in Amsterdam analysed MRI scans from more than 200 insomniacs and dozens of sound sleepers and spotted structural changes that distinguished sleepers from the sleepless and five separate forms of insomnia.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/22/discovery-different-forms-insomnia-could-better-treatment

Doesn't really explain the different types, and offers the same old chestnuts, but the study itself is hopeful