Agrypnias

/əˈɡrɪpniəz/ noun

Definition

Plural of agrypnia; persistent sleeplessness or insomnia, especially as a medical condition.

Etymology

From Greek agrypnos (ἄγρυπνος), combining a- (without) and hypnos (sleep). The term entered medical terminology in the 17th century to describe pathological wakefulness.

Kelly Says

Medieval doctors used this word to diagnose a condition they thought came from an imbalance of bodily humors—now we know chronic insomnia has real neurochemical causes, but the ancient Greek root perfectly captures what it feels like: a mind literally without sleep.

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