The VA has no diagnostic code for insomnia, so it usually rates insomnia under the same formula it uses for mental health conditions, at 0% to 100%. If you are already rated for PTSD, depression, or anxiety, your sleep problems are part of that rating, and the VA will not add a separate percentage for insomnia.
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How the VA Rates Insomnia
Insomnia does not have its own entry in the VA's rating schedule. When a condition is not listed, the VA rates it "by analogy" under the diagnostic code for the most similar condition. For insomnia, that is usually the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders, the same criteria used for PTSD, depression, and anxiety.
Under that formula, the rating depends on how much your symptoms affect your ability to work and function socially. Sleep problems appear directly in the criteria: "chronic sleep impairment" is listed among the symptoms at the 30% level. Higher ratings require broader effects on work, relationships, mood, and daily functioning.
| Rating | Level of impairment (summary) | 2026 monthly pay (veteran alone) |
|---|---|---|
| 100% | Total occupational and social impairment | $3,938.58 |
| 70% | Deficiencies in most areas, such as work, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood | $1,808.45 |
| 50% | Reduced reliability and productivity at work and socially | $1,132.90 |
| 30% | Occasional decrease in work efficiency, with symptoms such as anxiety, depressed mood, and chronic sleep impairment | $552.47 |
| 10% | Mild or temporary symptoms that affect work only during significant stress, or symptoms controlled by continuous medication | $180.42 |
| 0% | Diagnosed, but symptoms do not interfere with work or social functioning or require continuous medication | $0 |
Pay amounts are the VA's 2026 rates for a veteran with no dependents, effective December 1, 2025. For the full symptom list at each level, see our guide to VA ratings for anxiety, which uses the same formula.
A veteran whose insomnia is controlled with nightly sleep medication will often be rated at 10%. A veteran whose poor sleep leads to missed work, trouble concentrating, and irritability at home may fit the 30% level or higher. To see how an insomnia or mental health rating combines with your other ratings, use our VA disability calculator.
Insomnia and PTSD: Why You Usually Won't Get a Separate Rating
This is where many insomnia claims go wrong. Trouble sleeping is one of the most common symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and sleep impairment is already built into the criteria used to rate those conditions. The VA is not allowed to rate the same symptoms twice under different names, a rule known as "pyramiding" (38 CFR 4.14).
So if you are already rated for PTSD or another mental health condition, a separate claim for insomnia will usually be denied or folded into your existing rating. Veterans often don't understand why, because they clearly have insomnia and it clearly affects them.
The better path is usually a claim for an increased rating for your existing mental health condition, backed by evidence that your sleep problems, and what they do to your work and home life, have gotten worse. Sleep logs, treatment records, medication changes, and statements from a spouse or family member about what your nights look like can all support that claim. For more on how sleep problems fit into PTSD claims, see PTSD, sleep disorders, and VA disability claims.
Service Connecting Insomnia
If you are not already rated for a mental health condition, insomnia can be service-connected on its own. You will generally need:
- A current diagnosis of insomnia from a qualified medical professional
- Evidence of an in-service event, injury, or illness, or a service-connected condition that caused the insomnia
- A medical opinion, often called a nexus letter, stating that your insomnia is at least as likely as not connected to that event or condition
Secondary service connection. Many veterans develop insomnia because of another service-connected condition. Chronic pain from a back or joint condition, the effects of a traumatic brain injury, and medications taken for a service-connected disability can all disrupt sleep. In those cases, insomnia can be granted as secondary to the underlying condition. See our overview of PTSD secondary conditions for how secondary claims work.
Aggravation. If you had insomnia before entering the military, you may still be able to receive benefits if you can show that your service made it permanently worse.
Insomnia vs. Sleep Apnea
Insomnia and sleep apnea are rated very differently. Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder with its own diagnostic code, rated on treatment and symptoms, such as whether you need a CPAP machine. Insomnia is generally rated under the mental disorders formula.
Because they involve different symptoms, a veteran may be able to be service-connected for sleep apnea and a mental health condition such as PTSD at the same time. If you snore heavily, stop breathing during sleep, or wake up gasping, ask your doctor about a sleep study before assuming your problem is insomnia. See eligibility criteria for VA disability for sleep apnea.
Understanding Insomnia
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that involves difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. People with insomnia often feel tired during the day, which can make it harder to concentrate and keep up at work. Physicians generally describe two types:
- Acute insomnia comes on suddenly and usually lasts a short time. It can be triggered by stress, pain, or a change in routine, and it sometimes resolves on its own. When it is tied to PTSD or another mental health condition, it can become a longer-lasting problem.
- Chronic insomnia occurs at least several nights a week for months. It can last for years and may require ongoing treatment, including therapy and medication.
Common causes among veterans include PTSD, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, traumatic brain injury, and medication side effects. Veterans who served in combat or suffered serious injuries are at higher risk, but the cause does not have to be related to deployment.
Is the VA Changing How Insomnia Is Rated?
The VA has proposed rewriting both the mental disorders rating formula and the sleep apnea criteria. As of September 2026, both are still proposed rules, and insomnia claims are decided under the current criteria. When the VA has updated its rating schedule in the past, claims already pending on the effective date were evaluated under both the old and new criteria, and the version more favorable to the veteran was applied. If you have sleep problems you have never claimed, filing now, or filing an Intent to File (VA Form 21-0966) to hold your effective date, keeps the current rules available to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the VA rating for insomnia?
The VA has no diagnostic code for insomnia, so it generally rates insomnia by analogy under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders, at 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100%. The rating depends on how much your symptoms affect your work and social functioning. Chronic sleep impairment is listed as a symptom at the 30% level.
Can I get a separate VA rating for insomnia if I'm rated for PTSD?
Usually not. Sleep problems are already part of the criteria used to rate PTSD and other mental health conditions, and the VA cannot rate the same symptoms twice. If insomnia is part of your PTSD, it is considered in your PTSD rating. If your sleep problems have gotten worse, the usual path is a claim for an increased mental health rating.
Can insomnia be secondary to a physical condition?
Yes. Insomnia can be service-connected as a secondary condition when it is caused or made worse by a service-connected physical disability, such as chronic back pain, or by medication taken for a service-connected condition. You generally need a medical opinion linking the two.
Is insomnia rated the same as sleep apnea?
No. Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder with its own diagnostic code, and it is rated on treatment and symptoms such as the need for a CPAP machine. Insomnia is generally rated under the mental disorders formula. Because they involve different symptoms, a veteran may be able to be service-connected for sleep apnea and a mental health condition at the same time.
Talk to a Veterans Disability Attorney
If your insomnia claim was denied, or it was folded into a mental health rating that doesn't reflect how poorly you sleep and what that does to your days, the Law Office of Sean Kendall can review your file and tell you whether an increased rating or an appeal makes sense. We represent veterans nationwide on a contingency-fee basis, so you pay no attorney fee unless we win benefits for you. Call (877) 629-1712 toll-free or (303) 449-4773, or request a free case review.
