There are two types of insomnia, namely, primary and secondary insomnia. Primary insomnia involves sleep disorders that are not directly associated with any other health conditions or problems, whereas secondary insomnia occurs when a person is having sleep problems because of other health conditions such as asthma, depression, arthritis, heartburn, and cancer. There are many causes of insomnia, some of which include emotional/physical discomfort, significant life stress, illnesses, interferences in normal sleep schedules as well as pain or discomfort at night.