Paradoxical insomnia

This code represents paradoxical insomnia, a sleep disorder where individuals significantly overestimate their sleep disturbance, reporting severe insomnia despite objective polysomnographic findings showing normal or near-normal sleep duration and quality. Patients often complain of little to no sleep, yet physiological measures indicate otherwise.

Use this code when a patient presents with a subjective complaint of severe insomnia that is disproportionate to objective sleep studies. Documentation should clearly indicate a discrepancy between the patient's perception of sleep and actual sleep parameters, often confirmed by polysomnography.

• Ensure documentation explicitly states "paradoxical insomnia" or describes the discrepancy between subjective sleep complaints and objective sleep studies.
• Do not confuse with other insomnia types (e.g., F51.01 Primary insomnia, F51.02 Adjustment insomnia) where objective findings align more closely with subjective complaints.
• Consider co-occurring mental health conditions (e.g., anxiety, depression) which may contribute to the patient's perception of poor sleep, but code paradoxical insomnia as the primary sleep disorder when indicated.