Answer: There are many possible causes of chronic insomnia and one of the most common causes of chronic insomnia is depression and other underlying causes include arthritis, kidney disease, heart failure, asthma, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, Parkinson’s disease and hyperthyroidism. However chronic insomnia may also be due to behavioral factors, including the misuse of caffeine, alcohol, or other substances such as disrupted sleep/wake cycles as may occur with shift work or other nighttime activity schedules and chronic stress.