There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Abstract
Epidemiologists have published more than 50 studies of insomnia based on data collected
in various representative community-dwelling samples or populations. These surveys
provide estimates of the prevalence of insomnia according to four definitions: insomnia
symptoms, insomnia symptoms with daytime consequences, sleep dissatisfaction and insomnia
diagnoses. The first definition, based on insomnia criteria as defined by the DSM-IV,
recognizes that about one-third of a general population presents at least one of them.
The second definition shows that, when daytime consequences of insomnia are taken
into account, the prevalence is between 9% and 15%. The third definition represents
8-18% of the general population. The last definition, more precise and corresponding
to a decision-making diagnosis, sets the prevalence at 6% of insomnia diagnoses according
to the DSM-IV classification. These four definitions of insomnia have higher prevalence
rates in women than in men. The prevalence of insomnia symptoms generally increases
with age, while the rates of sleep dissatisfaction and diagnoses have little variation
with age. Numerous factors can initiate or maintain insomnia. Mental disorders and
organic diseases are the factors that have been the most frequently studied. The association
between insomnia and major depressive episodes has been constantly reported: individuals
with insomnia are more likely to have a major depressive illness. Longitudinal studies
have shown that the persistence of insomnia is associated with the appearance of a
new depressive episode. Future epidemiological studies should focus on the natural
evolution of insomnia. Epidemiological genetic links of insomnia are yet to be studied.