If you can’t go to sleep, whether it’s life long or triggered by other situations such as traveling, work hour changes, daily stress, stressful events, or other things in life, it might not be a symptom of another medical disorder. It’s called primary insomnia. In other words, it’s plain old insomnia, an sleeping disorder by itself.
A primary insomnia sometimes can end on its own without medical attention. If it was stress related, it’ll go away once the stressful events are over. If it was travel related, it’ll go away once you go back to your normal routine. But if it’s pure life long insomnia, not triggered by external events, it can last for years. Research has shown that some people tend to be prone to primary insomnia.
Source: Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.