Translation guide
Describes the condition of being unable to sleep. Japanese has several terms, ranging from clinical to casual, and often uses descriptive phrases.
To refer to the condition of insomnia in a neutral or medical context.
The standard medical term for insomnia. Used in formal and clinical settings.
彼は不眠症に悩んでいる。
He suffers from insomnia.
A slightly more formal or written term for sleeplessness, often used in compounds.
不眠が続くと健康に悪い。
Continuous sleeplessness is bad for your health.
To say you can't sleep in a casual conversation.
Literally 'can't sleep'. The most common and natural way to express insomnia in daily speech.
昨夜は全然眠れなかった。
I couldn't sleep at all last night.
最近、眠れない日が続いている。
Lately, I've been having sleepless nights.
Specifically means 'unable to fall asleep'. Focuses on the initial difficulty of drifting off.
暑くて寝付けない。
It's so hot I can't fall asleep.
Means 'lack of sleep' or 'sleep deprivation'. Often used to describe the state of being tired due to insufficient sleep, rather than the inability to sleep.
To describe particular patterns of sleeplessness.
Medical term for waking up in the middle of the night and having trouble going back to sleep.
中途覚醒が多くて困っている。
I'm troubled by frequent awakenings during the night.
Medical term for waking up too early in the morning and being unable to go back to sleep.
早朝覚醒はうつ病の症状の一つです。
Early morning awakening is one of the symptoms of depression.
Use 眠れない (can't sleep) for everyday situations. 不眠症 is a medical diagnosis and sounds more serious. If you just had a bad night, say 眠れなかった, not 不眠症だった.
Japanese often expresses the experience of insomnia with phrases like なかなか眠れない (just can't seem to sleep) or 夜中に目が覚める (wake up in the middle of the night).
寝不足で頭が痛い。
I have a headache from lack of sleep.