insomnio
nounCEFR B1
What does “insomnio” mean in English?
insomnia — persistent inability to fall or stay asleep; medical term
insomnia — persistent inability to fall or stay asleep; medical term (tener insomnio, sufrir insomnio, el insomnio crónico)
Example sentences
Lleva seis meses con insomnio y ya no puede concentrarse en el trabajo, así que el médico le ha derivado a una unidad del sueño para que le hagan un estudio completo.
He has had insomnia for six months and can no longer concentrate at work, so the doctor has referred him to a sleep unit for a full assessment.
La psicóloga le explicó que el insomnio que sufría era consecuencia directa de la ansiedad y que tratar una condición ayudaría a mejorar la otra.
The psychologist explained to her that the insomnia she was suffering was a direct result of the anxiety and that treating one condition would help improve the other.
How to use it
Insomnio (masculine: el insomnio) means insomnia — persistent difficulty falling or staying asleep. Key collocations: tener insomnio, sufrir insomnio, padecer insomnio (increasingly formal), el insomnio crónico. The verb form is quedarse sin dormir or no conciliar el sueño in more formal registers. Contrast with dormir mal (to sleep badly, colloquial) which is not a medical diagnosis. Common cause–effect pattern at B1: llevar + time + gerund to express duration.
Common mistake
Do not use estar con insomnio — the standard collocation is tener insomnio or sufrir insomnio. El insomnio is masculine despite not ending in -o (the base word is the same as in English and derives from Latin).