Midlife insomnia and subsequent mortality: the Hordaland health study

Association of preadmission insomnia symptoms with objective in-hospital sleep and clinical outcomes among hospitalized patients

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To determine the prevalence of preadmission insomnia symptoms among hospitalized patients and assess the association of insomnia symptoms with objective in-hospital sleep and clinical outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective cohort study of medicine inpatients (age ≥ 50, no previously diagnosed sleep disorders). Participants answered the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) questionnaire to assess for preadmission insomnia symptoms (scored 0-28; higher scores suggest more insomnia symptoms). Sleep duration and efficiency were measured with actigraphy. Participants self-reported 30-day postdischarge readmissions and emergency department and/or urgent care visits.

RESULTS

Of 568 participants, 49% had ISI scores suggestive of possible undiagnosed insomnia (ISI ≥ 8). Higher ISI scores were associated with shorter sleep duration [β = -2.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) -4.1 to -1.1, P = .001] and lower sleep efficiency (β = -0.39, 95% CI -0.63 to -0.15, P = .001). When adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, and comorbidities, higher ISI scores were associated with longer length of stay (incidence rate ratio 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.02, P = .011), increased risk of 30-day readmission (odds ratio 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.07, P = .018), and increased risk of 30-day emergency department or urgent care visit (odds ratio 1.04, 95% CI 1.00-1.07, P = .043).

CONCLUSIONS

Among medicine inpatients, there was a high prevalence of preadmission insomnia symptoms suggestive of possible undiagnosed insomnia. Participants with higher ISI scores slept less with lower sleep efficiency during hospitalization. Higher ISI scores were associated with longer length of stay, increased risk of a 30-day postdischarge readmission, and increased risk of a 30-day postdischarge emergency department or urgent care visit.

CITATION

Neborak JM, Press VG, Parker WF, et al. Association of preadmission insomnia symptoms with objective in-hospital sleep and clinical outcomes among hospitalized patients. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(5):681-687.

Insomnia and risk of mortality in older adults

Existing evidence linking insomnia to all-cause mortality in older individuals remains inconclusive. We conducted a retrospective study of a large cohort of veterans aged 65-80 years old identified from the Corporate Data Warehouse, a large data repository derived from the Veterans Health Administration integrated medical records. Veterans' enrollees with and without International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revision, codes corresponding to insomnia diagnosis between 1 January 2010 and 30 March 2019 were assessed for eligibility. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. A total of 36,269 veterans, 9584 with insomnia and 26,685 without insomnia, were included in the analysis. Baseline mean (SD) age was 72.6 (4.2) years. During a mean follow-up of 6.0 (2.9) years of the propensity score matched sample, the mortality rate was 34.8 [95% confidence interval: 33.2-36.6] deaths per 1000 person-years among patients with insomnia compared with 27.8 [95% confidence interval: 26.6-29.1] among patients without insomnia. In a Cox proportional hazards model, insomnia was significantly associated with higher mortality (hazard ratio: 1.39; [95% confidence interval: 1.27-1.52]). Patients with insomnia also had a higher risk of non-fatal cardiovascular events (hazard ratio: 1.21; [95% confidence interval: 1.06-1.37]). Secondary stratified analyses by sex, race, ethnicity and hypertension showed no evidence of effect modification. A higher risk of mortality (hazard ratio: 1.51; [95% confidence interval: 1.33-1.71]) was observed when depression was present compared with absent (hazard ratio: 1.26; [95% confidence interval: 1.12-1.44]; p = 0.02). In this cohort study, insomnia was associated with increased risk-adjusted mortality and non-fatal cardiovascular events in older individuals.

Plant-based dietary patterns and risk of insomnia: a prospective study

BACKGROUND

Accumulating evidence suggests that dietary factors may affect sleep, but the associations between dietary patterns and insomnia risk have been poorly explored. The aim of this study was to investigate if plant-based diets are associated with reduced insomnia risks in a cohort study design.

METHODS

Tzu Chi Health Study participants (N = 5821) recruited from 2007 to 2009 without insomnia were followed until 2018. A traditional classification method (vegetarians vs. non-vegetarians) and a healthful plant-based index (hPDI) were used to define adherence to plant-based dietary patterns. Incident cases of insomnia were ascertained by linking with the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). Associations between plant-based diets and insomnia were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models.

RESULTS

A total of 464 incident cases of insomnia were identified in the 55,562 person-years of follow up. Insomnia risk was lower in vegetarians when compared to non-vegetarians, hazard ratios (HR) 0.47 (95% CI: 0.27, 0.81) and 0.71 (95% CI: 0.55, 0.91) for males and females respectively. Male participants with the highest hPDI were associated with a significant lower risk of insomnia (HR 0.50 [95% CI: 0.30, 0.85]) when compared to those in the lowest quintile. No association between adherence to hPDI and insomnia in female participants was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed that vegetarians are associated with a lower risk of insomnia, but there may be sex-specific associations between adherence to hPDI and insomnia risk. These favorable associations are important when considering plant-based diets for their potential additional sleep benefits.

The Night and Day Challenge of Sleep Disorders and Insomnia: A Narrative Review

This is a narrative review of sleep disorders, especially chronic insomnia, as a primary diagnosis or as a comorbid diagnosis associated with different psychiatric and organic diseases. The epidemiological evidence is reviewed, the diagnostic criteria most frequently used in clinical practice are examined, and a series of therapeutic recommendations for the correct treatment of this pathology is presented. Sleep disorders are very prevalent in the general population (one-third experiences difficulty with sleep initiation/maintenance at least once a week, and about 6-15% meet the criteria for insomnia disorders), but remain relatively poorly understood and frequently overlooked by healthcare professionals. Prevalence estimates of insomnia disorder vary between 5% and 20%. Sleep disorders co-exist with psychiatric and medical conditions with an interactive and bidirectional relationship. About 70-80% of psychiatric patients show some sleep disturbance and there is a correlation between the severity of the sleep disturbance and the severity of the psychopathology. Untreated sleep disorders increase the risk of cardiovascular events, cognitive impairment, motor vehicle accidents, obesity, diabetes, and efficiency and safety at work, leading to increased all-cause healthcare utilization and being a strong predictor of sick leave or disability pension and poor quality of life. Sleep disorders can cause drowsiness or excessive daytime sleepiness, which can lead to functional impairment in 15% of the general adult population. Sleep quality should be a routine target in the evaluation of patients with psychiatric and non-psychiatric diseases to ensure sleep health based on early diagnosis and adequate therapeutic approaches.

Sleep characteristics and parameters of bone turnover and strength in the adult population: results from the Study of Health in Pomerania-TREND

Poor sleep quality or sleep deprivation may be related to decreased bone mineral density. We aimed to assess whether associations of sleep characteristics and bone turnover or strength are present in adults from the general population and whether these are independent of common risk factors such as sex, age, and obesity. A total of 1037 participants from the Study of Health in Pomerania-TREND underwent laboratory-based polysomnography and quantitative ultrasound measurements at the heel. Of these participants, 804 completed standardised questionnaires to assess daytime sleepiness, insomnia, and sleep quality. Serum concentrations of two bone turnover markers, intact amino-terminal propeptide of type 1 procollagen (P1NP) and carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTX) were measured. Cross-sectional associations of polysomnography variables (total sleep time, sleep efficiency, time spent wake after sleep onset, oxygen desaturation index, apnea-hypopnea index, and obstructive sleep apnea [OSA]), as well as sleep questionnaire scores with the bone turnover markers and the ultrasound-based stiffness index were assessed in linear regression models. In adjusted models, higher insomnia scores and lower sleep quality scores were related to a higher bone turnover in women but not in men. However, associations between polysomnography variables or questionnaire scores and the stiffness index were absent. Our study provides limited evidence for relationships between sleep characteristics and bone turnover and strength independent of common risk factors for OSA and osteoporosis. Nevertheless, women reporting poor sleep or insomnia in combination with risk factors for osteoporosis might benefit from an evaluation of bone health.

Insomnia nosology: a systematic review and critical appraisal of historical diagnostic categories and current phenotypes

Insomnia nosology has significantly evolved since the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-III-R first distinguished between 'primary' and 'secondary' insomnia. Prior International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD) nosology 'split' diagnostic phenotypes to address insomnia's heterogeneity and the DSM nosology 'lumped' them into primary insomnia, while both systems assumed causality for insomnia secondary to health conditions. In this systematic review, we discuss the historical phenotypes in prior insomnia nosology, present findings for currently proposed insomnia phenotypes based on more robust approaches, and critically appraise the most relevant ones. Electronic databases PsychINFO, PubMED, Web of Science, and references of eligible articles, were accessed to find diagnostic manuals, literature on insomnia phenotypes, including systematic reviews or meta-analysis, and assessments of the reliability or validity of insomnia diagnoses, identifying 184 articles. The data show that previous insomnia diagnoses lacked reliability and validity, leading current DSM-5-TR and ICSD-3 nosology to 'lump' phenotypes into a single diagnosis comorbid with health conditions. However, at least two new, robust insomnia phenotyping approaches were identified. One approach is multidimensional-multimethod and provides evidence for self-reported insomnia with objective short versus normal sleep duration linked to clinically relevant outcomes, while the other is multidimensional and provides evidence for two to five clusters (phenotypes) based on self-reported trait, state, and/or life-history data. Some approaches still need replication to better support whether their findings identify true phenotypes or simply different patterns of symptomatology. Regardless, these phenotyping efforts aim at improving insomnia nosology both as a classification system and as a mechanism to guide treatment.

The mortality risk of night-time and daytime insomnia symptoms in an older population

The current study examined the association between insomnia symptoms and all-cause mortality in older adults (≥ 65 years). Data was used from 1969 older adults [M = 78 years, SD = 6.7 years] who participated in the Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Insomnia symptoms were defined by nocturnal symptoms (difficulty falling asleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, early morning awakenings) and daytime symptoms (concentration difficulties, effort, inability to get going). Frequency of symptoms were combined to calculate an insomnia symptom score ranging from 0 (no symptoms) to 24 (sever symptoms) and quintiles of the score were constructed to provide a range of symptom severity. Multivariable Cox models were conducted to assess associations between insomnia symptom severity and mortality risk. In the median follow up of 9.2 years, there were 17,403 person-years at risk and the mortality rate was 8-per 100 person-years. Insomnia symptom severity was associated with increased mortality in the most severe quintile (adjusted HR_Q1vsQ5 = 1.26, 95%CI [1.03-1.53], p = .02). Subsequent analyses showed this association was driven by daytime symptoms (adjusted HR_Q1vsQ5 = 1.66, [1.39-2.00], p < .0001), since nocturnal symptoms alone were not associated with increased mortality (adjusted HR _Q1vsQ5 = 0.89, [0.72-1.10], p = .28). Findings suggest daytime symptoms drive increased mortality risk associated with insomnia symptoms. Findings may be therapeutically helpful by reassuring individuals with nocturnal insomnia symptoms alone that their longevity is unlikely to be impacted.

Comparison of the treatment effectiveness between lemborexant and zolpidem tartrate extended-release for insomnia disorder subtypes defined based on polysomnographic findings

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Patients with chronic insomnia may respond differently to therapeutic modalities. This study examined differences in response of individuals with 2 insomnia phenotypes-short sleep duration (I-SSD; < 6 hours) and normal sleep duration (I-NSD; ≥ 6 hours) determined by polysomnography-to treatment with lemborexant and zolpidem tartrate extended-release 6.25 mg (zolpidem ER), compared with placebo.

METHODS

Study E2006-G000-304 (Study 304; SUNRISE-1; NCT02783729) was a global, randomized, double-blind, placebo, and active comparator-controlled, parallel-group study comparing lemborexant 5 and 10 mg in individuals aged ≥ 55 years with insomnia disorder. In this analysis, changes in subjective (self-reported) variables based on sleep diaries and objective variables based on polysomnographs were assessed after 1-month administration of study drugs. Data from participants with I-SSD and I-NSD were compared.

RESULTS

In the I-SSD subgroup, both lemborexant doses provided significant benefit for sleep-onset latency (SOL), total sleep time (TST), and wake after sleep onset (WASO) vs placebo; zolpidem ER also provided significant benefit for TST and WASO, but not SOL, on both measures vs placebo. In the I-NSD subgroup, lemborexant and zolpidem ER provided significant benefit for TST and WASO vs placebo objectively but not subjectively; both doses of lemborexant provided significant benefit for SOL vs placebo subjectively, but not objectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Both drugs, but lemborexant more consistently, showed subjective and objective benefits compared with placebo in participants with insomnia with objective short sleep duration. However, neither lemborexant nor zolpidem provided consistent benefits for participants with normal sleep duration on sleep-onset and sleep maintenance variables.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Name: Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Lemborexant in Subjects 55 Years and Older With Insomnia Disorder (SUNRISE 1); URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT02783729; Identifier: NCT02783729.

CITATION

Inoue Y, Nishida M, Kubota N, et al. Comparison of the treatment effectiveness between lemborexant and zolpidem tartrate extended-release for insomnia disorder subtypes defined based on polysomnographic findings. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(3):519-528.

Hypnotic Medications as an Adjunct Treatment to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the universally recommended treatment of choice for insomnia disorder based on its safety and posttreatment durability of benefit. However, CBT-I does not help all patients achieve remission. The second most evidence-based treatment, hypnotic pharmacotherapy (PCT), does not resolve perpetuating factors of insomnia, resulting in potential waning of benefit and dependence. This article presents a rationale that supports consideration of hypnotic augmentation of CBT-I (COMB), along with a review of select randomized controlled trials relevant to clinical decision-making.

Effect of Vitamin E Supplementation on Chronic Insomnia Disorder in Postmenopausal Women: A Prospective, Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial

Chronic insomnia disorder is one of the most common problems in postmenopausal women, exacerbated by underdiagnosis and improper treatment. This double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the potential of vitamin E to treat chronic insomnia as an alternative to sedative drugs and hormonal therapy. The study enrolled 160 postmenopausal women with chronic insomnia disorder, divided randomly into two groups. The vitamin E group received 400 units of mixed tocopherol daily, while the placebo group received an identical oral capsule. The primary outcome of this study was sleep quality assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a self-evaluated and standardized questionnaire. The secondary outcome was the percentage of participants using sedative drugs. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the study groups. However, the median PSQI score at baseline was slightly higher in the vitamin E group compared with the placebo (13 (6, 20) vs. 11 (6, 20); p-value 0.019). After one month of intervention, the PSQI score was significantly lower (indicating better sleep quality) in the vitamin E group compared with the placebo (6 (1, 18) vs. 9 (1, 19); p-value 0.012). Moreover, the improvement score was significantly higher in the vitamin E group compared with the placebo (5 (-6, 14) vs. 1 (-5,13); p-value < 0.001). In addition, there was a significant reduction in the percentage of patients using sedative drugs in the vitamin E group (15%; p-value 0.009), while this reduction was not statistically significant in the placebo group (7.5%; p-value 0.077). This study demonstrates vitamin E's potential as an excellent alternative treatment for chronic insomnia disorder that improves sleep quality and reduces sedative drug use.

Insomnia in primary care: Considerations for screening, assessment, and management

Insomnia, including insomnia disorder, is a common but often overlooked complaint in primary care settings. It is a risk factor for various medical and psychiatric diagnoses and is associated with substantial health care costs. While cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the first-line treatment for insomnia disorder, access to CBT-I is limited. This article provides a pragmatic approach to screening, assessment, and treatment of insomnia in the primary care setting, promoting a population health approach. The authors review the role of CBT-I, treatment of comorbid conditions, and pharmacologic recommendations in working with primary care patients with insomnia. In addition, the authors highlight the potential utility of technology in improving access to insomnia care.

Longitudinal associations between time-varying insomnia symptoms and all-cause health care services utilization among middle-aged and older adults in the United States

OBJECTIVE

To examine longitudinal associations between time-varying insomnia symptoms (difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, early-morning awakenings, and nonrestorative sleep) and all-cause health care services utilization (HSU), including overnight hospital stays, nursing home stays, and home health care services among middle-aged and older adults.

DATA SOURCES

The Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationwide, population-representative survey of primarily middle-aged and older adults in the United States.

STUDY DESIGN

This study is an analysis of prospective data from the HRS for a cohort of 13,168 adults (aged ≥50 years; females = 57.7%). Study participants were followed for 16 years. This study focuses on the associations between time-varying insomnia symptoms, both cumulatively and independently, and repeated HSUs. A marginal structural modeling approach was used to capture time-varying biological, psycho-cognitive, and behavioral health factors, and to adjust for selection bias such as differential loss to follow-up. Generalized estimating equations were employed to compute average marginal effects and their 95% confidence intervals.

DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS

We extracted longitudinal data from 2002 through 2018 waves of the HRS.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Experiencing higher numbers of insomnia symptoms on a cumulative scale was associated with higher probabilities of HSU. For instance, the likelihood of overnight hospital stays for individuals reporting one symptom increased from 4.7 percentage points on average (95% CI: 3.7-5.6, p < 0.001), to 13.9 percentage points (95% CI: 10.3-17.5, p < 0.001) for those reporting four symptoms, relative to individuals experiencing no insomnia symptoms. Further, experiencing each of difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep, and nonrestorative sleep, as standalone symptoms, was associated with a higher likelihood of HSU when compared to those not experiencing the symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrate the potential consequences and adverse impacts of insomnia symptoms on HSU among middle-aged and older adults. Future investigations should focus on the underlying causes and health systems pathways linking insomnia symptoms to HSU.

Longitudinal associations between insomnia symptoms and all-cause mortality among middle-aged and older adults: a population-based cohort study

To date, there is no scientific consensus on whether insomnia symptoms increase mortality risk. We investigated longitudinal associations between time-varying insomnia symptoms (difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, early-morning awakening, and nonrestorative sleep) and all-cause mortality among middle-aged and older adults during 14 years of follow-up. Data were obtained from 2004 through 2018 survey waves of the Health and Retirement Study in the United States for a population-representative sample of 15 511 respondents who were ≥50 years old in 2004. Respondents were interviewed biennially and followed through the end of the 2018 survey wave for the outcome. Marginal structural discrete-time survival analyses were employed to account for time-varying confounding and selection bias. Of the 15 511 cohort respondents (mean [±SD] age at baseline, 63.7 [±10.2] years; 56.0% females), 5878 (31.9%) died during follow-up. At baseline (2004), 41.6% reported experiencing at least one insomnia symptom. Respondents who experienced one (HR = 1.11; 95% CI: 1.03-1.20), two (HR = 1.12; 95% CI: 1.01-1.23), three (HR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.05-1.27), or four (HR = 1.32; 95% CI: 1.12-1.56) insomnia symptoms had on average a higher hazard of all-cause mortality, compared to those who were symptom-free. For each insomnia symptom, respondents who experienced difficulty initiating sleep (HR = 1.12; 95% CI: 1.02-1.22), early-morning awakening (HR = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.01-1.18), and nonrestorative sleep (HR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.09-1.26), had a higher hazard of all-cause mortality compared to those not experiencing the symptom. The findings demonstrate significant associations between insomnia symptoms and all-cause mortality, both on a cumulative scale and independently, except for difficulty maintaining sleep. Further research should investigate the underlying mechanisms linking insomnia symptoms and mortality.

Healthy Sleep Associated With Lower Risk of Hypertension Regardless of Genetic Risk: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Background: Hypertension is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease and to mortality. The combined effects of sleep factors on the risk of hypertension are unclear. We aimed to evaluate the effect of combined sleep factors on the risk of hypertension and to explore whether this association is independent of genetic risk. Methods: This population-based prospective cohort study included 170,378 participants from the UK Biobank study. We conducted a healthy sleep score based on a combination of major five sleep factors and a genetic risk score based on 118 risk variants. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: A total of 170,378 participants were included. Compared to participants with a healthy sleep score of 0-1, those with healthy sleep scores of 2 (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.83-0.98), 3 (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.75-0.88), 4 (HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.68-0.81), or 5 (HR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.59-0.77) had increasingly lower risks of hypertension (P for trend <0.001). Participants with high genetic risk and an unfavorable sleep pattern had a 1.80-fold greater risk of hypertension than participants with low genetic risk and a favorable sleep pattern. The association between sleep patterns and hypertension persisted in subgroup analysis, stratified by the genetic risk. Nearly 18.2% of hypertension events in this cohort could be attributed to unfavorable sleep pattern. Conclusions: Favorable sleep pattern was associated with a low risk of hypertension, regardless of genetic risk. These findings highlight the potential of sleep interventions to reduce risk of hypertension across entire populations.

Associations of shift work and night work with risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality: a meta-analysis of cohort studies

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological studies on the relationship of shift work or night work with risk of total and cause-specific mortality have given conflicting results. We aimed at conducting a meta-analysis to summarize the evidence from cohort studies.

METHODS

Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases were searched for eligible studies up to Mar 2021. Cohort studies evaluating the associations of shift work or night work with risk of all-cause, cardiovascular or cancer mortality were reviewed. Study-specific risk estimates were pooled by fixed-effect models when the heterogeneity was not detected; otherwise, random-effect models were employed.

RESULTS

We identified seventeen eligible articles (sixteen cohorts). A total of 958,674 cohort participants were included, with 38,413 total deaths, 24,713 cardiovascular deaths and 10,219 cancer deaths during follow-up. According to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, fifteen studies were considered as relatively high quality with low risk of bias. Compared with regular daytime workers, the pooled relative risks for all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality were 1.02 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.06), 1.18 (95% CI: 0.94, 1.47) and 1.05 (95% CI: 0.83, 1.34) for those ever exposing to shift work, respectively. Compared with daytime workers or those never exposing to night work, the pooled relative risks for all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality were 1.06 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.08), 1.15 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.29) and 1.04 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.08) for those ever exposing to night work, respectively. Moderate to high level of heterogeneity across the studies was detected. Publication bias was not detected.

CONCLUSION

Night work may be associated with higher risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality, suggesting that night workers compared with daytime workers may be at higher risk of death, especially due to cardiovascular disease.

Associations between sleep disturbances, diabetes and mortality in the UK Biobank cohort: A prospective population-based study

Non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, are partly responsible for the deceleration of improvements of life expectancy in many countries. Diabetes is also associated with sleep disturbances. Our aim was to determine whether sleep disturbances, particularly in people with diabetes, were associated with increased mortality risk. Data from the UK Biobank were analysed (n = 487,728, mean follow-up time = 8.9 years). The primary exposure was sleep disturbances, assessed through the question: Do you have trouble falling asleep at night or do you wake up in the middle of the night? The primary outcome was mortality. We also dichotomized sleep disturbances into "never/sometimes" versus "usually" (frequently), and combined with the presence/absence of diabetes: 24.2% of participants reported "never/rarely" experiencing sleep disturbances, 47.8% "sometimes" and 28.0% "usually". In age- and sex-adjusted models, frequent sleep disturbances were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26-1.37), which remained significant in the fully adjusted model (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.09-1.18). The presence of both diabetes and frequent sleep disturbances was associated with greater risk of all-cause mortality than either condition alone. In the fully adjusted model, the hazard ratio for all-cause mortality was 1.11 (95% CI, 1.07-1.15) for frequent sleep disturbances alone, 1.67 (95% CI, 1.57-1.76) for diabetes alone and 1.87 for both (95% CI, 1.75-2.01). Frequent sleep disturbances (experienced by more than one quarter of the sample) were associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality. Mortality risk was highest in those with both diabetes and frequent sleep disturbances. Complaints of difficulty falling or staying asleep merit attention by physicians.

Sleep Well and Recover Faster with Less Pain-A Narrative Review on Sleep in the Perioperative Period

Sleep disturbance, pain, and having a surgical procedure of some kind are all very likely to occur during the average lifespan. Postoperative pain continues to be a prevalent problem and growing evidence supports the association between pain and sleep disturbances. The bidirectional nature of sleep and pain is widely acknowledged. A decline in sleep quality adds a risk for the onset of pain and also exacerbates existing pain. The risk factors for developing insomnia and experiencing severe pain after surgery are quite similar. The main aim of this narrative review is to discuss why it is important to be aware of sleep disturbances both before and after surgery, to know how sleep disturbances should be assessed and monitored, and to understand how better sleep can be supported by both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions.

Dietary variety is associated with sleep efficiency in urban-dwelling older adults: A longitudinal study

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Improving sleep quality is important for an aging society. However, no study has been conducted on the association between dietary variety and sleep efficiency among older Japanese adults using longitudinal data. The current study is a longitudinal study that aimed to elucidate the association between dietary variety and sleep efficiency in older Japanese adults.

METHODS

This study was conducted among older adults (≥70 years old in 2016) in the metropolitan area of Tokyo, Japan, between 2016 and 2018. Dietary variety score (DVS) and sleep efficiency were determined for all participants and were used to assess dietary habits and sleep quality, respectively. A cross-lagged panel analysis was used to consider the prospective associations between DVS and sleep efficiency, and this analysis was performed before and after adjusting for possible covariates in the 2016 data.

RESULTS

After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, current drinking status, current smoking status, exercise habits, living (alone or with others) style, the Japanese version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (Short Form), sleep duration and retiring time the DVS in 2016 predicted the sleep efficiency in 2018 (β = 0.130, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The possibility that DVS can predict sleep efficiency 2 years later was demonstrated.

Insomnia Disorder Increases the Risk of Mortality: Pooled Analysis of Annual Cumulative Time-to-Event Data

The association of mortality risk and insomnia disorder with daytime impairments has been plausible. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the strength of evidence for this relationship. We performed a comprehensive literature search for clinical Cohort trials including annual cumulative time-to-event data that evaluated the risk of mortality in insomnia disorder patients with daytime impairments. We used pooled hazard ratio (HR) as the main outcome measure and Kaplan-Meier survive curve to display outcome measures. The weighted cumulative mortality of 4.5% for patients with insomnia disorder was higher than that of 2.6% for those without insomnia (p<0.001). Higher risk of mortality presented in patients with insomnia disorder when compared to those without insomnia (HR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.25-2.19, p<0.001). Patients with duration of more than 10 years were at a greater risk of annual cumulative mortality (R² = 0.891, p<0.001). Insomnia disorder with daytime impairments increased the risk of mortality, and patients with duration of more than 10 years were at a greater risk of annual cumulative mortality.

Validation of insomnia questionnaires in the general population: The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT)

The primary aim was to validate questionnaire-based insomnia diagnoses from a modified Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire (KSQ) and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), by age category (< or >65 years), against a semi-structured face-to-face interview. Secondary aims were to split validity by diagnostic certainty of the interview and to compare prevalence estimates of questionnaire- and interview-based diagnoses. A total of 232 out of 1,200 invited (19.3%) from the fourth Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT4) completed questionnaires, including the KSQ and ISI, shortly before attending a face-to-face diagnostic interview for insomnia based on the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Both a tentative (DSM-5 criteria A-E) and a definite (criteria A-H) interview diagnosis was evaluated. Cohen's kappa statistic quantified questionnaire validity. In all, 33% (95% confidence interval 27-39%) of participants had definite insomnia: 40% of women and 21% of men. The ISI (cut-off 12) and several KSQ-based diagnoses showed very good validity (κ ≤0.74) against the tentative, versus good validity (κ ≤0.61) against the definite interview diagnosis. Short questionnaires, requiring a daytime symptom at least three times a week, may underestimate insomnia prevalence. Validity was consistently higher for persons aged below versus above 65 years (definite insomnia: κ ≤0.64 vs. κ ≤0.56). Our results have implications for epidemiological population-based studies utilising insomnia questionnaires.

A Pilot Study of a Sleep Intervention Delivered through Group Prenatal Care to Overweight and Obese Women

OBJECTIVES

We sought to investigate the feasibility of a behavioral sleep intervention for insomnia, delivered through group prenatal care and the relationship of this intervention to improvements in insomnia symptoms and sleep quality.

PARTICIPANTS

Women receiving prenatal care and reporting a pre-pregnancy BMI of ≥25 kg/m² and sleep duration of <6.5 h per night.

METHODS

Participants were randomized to group prenatal care or group prenatal care with a behavioral sleep intervention, adapted from cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) online program Go! to Sleep®. In the second trimester (T1), late third trimester (T2) and 6-8 weeks postpartum (T3) study assessments were completed including the Insomnia Severity Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, fasting glucose and insulin and weight and height. Data were analyzed using independent samples t-tests, chi-square tests, correlations, and two-way repeated measures ANOVA where appropriate. P < .05 was set as the level of significance.

RESULTS

From May 2014 to April 2015, 311 women were evaluated for inclusion and 53 women were randomized to participate (27 intervention; 26 control), 15% were lost to follow up. The intervention group had lower third trimester and postpartum levels of moderate to severe insomnia (T2 50.0% vs 85.0% (p = .018) and T3 13.6% vs 52.4% (p-.008)) and mean insomnia severity scores (T2 (14.7 (±6.6) vs 19.3 (± 6.0) p = .02) and T3 (9.7 (±5.4) vs 15.1(±7.2) p = .01)) when compared to the control group.

CONCLUSION

A randomized controlled trial of a behavioral sleep intervention for insomnia delivered through group prenatal care led to improvements in insomnia symptoms.

Associations of daily weather and ambient air pollution with objectively assessed sleep duration and fragmentation: a prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Given the lack of studies examining the associations between daily weather and air pollution with nightly objective sleep over multiple weeks, we quantified these associations in a prospective cohort of healthy participants with episodic migraine.

METHODS

Ninety-eight participants completed daily electronic diaries and wore an actigraph for an average of 45 ds, and a total 4406 nights of data were collected. Nightly sleep characteristics including duration, wake after sleep onset (WASO), and efficiency were assessed using wrist actigraphy. Daily weather parameters and air pollution levels were collected from local weather station and ground-level air quality monitors. We used linear fixed effects models adjusting for participant, day of the week, and day of the year (for weather analysis), and additionally adjusted for temperature and relative humidity (for air pollution analysis).

RESULTS

The participants were 35 ± 12 yrs old and 86 were women. A 10 °F higher daily average temperature was associated with 0.88 (95% CI: 0.06, 1.70) minutes longer WASO and 0.14% (95% CI: -0.01%, 0.30%) lower sleep efficiency on that night. A 14 parts per billion (ppb) (interquartile range) higher daily maximum eight-h ozone was associated with 7.51 (95% CI: 3.23, 11.79) minutes longer sleep duration on that night. Associations did not differ between cold (October-March) and warm (April-September) seasons.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher daily ozone was associated with longer sleep duration and modest associations were observed between higher temperature and lower WASO and lower efficiency.

Onset of regular cannabis use and young adult insomnia: an analysis of shared genetic liability

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Estimate the genetic and environmental influences on the relationship between onset of regular cannabis use and young adult insomnia.

METHODS

In a population-based twin cohort of 1882 twins (56% female, mean age = 22.99, SD = 2.97) we explored the genetic/environmental etiology of the relationship between onset of regular cannabis use and insomnia-related outcomes via multivariate twin models.

RESULTS

Controlling for sex, current depression symptoms, and prior diagnosis of an anxiety or depression disorder, adult twins who reported early onset for regular cannabis use (age 17 or younger) were more likely to have insomnia (β = 0.07, p = 0.024) and insomnia with short sleep on weekdays (β = 0.08, p = 0.003) as young adults. We found significant genetic contributions for the onset of regular cannabis use (a2 = 76%, p < 0.001), insomnia (a2 = 44%, p < 0.001), and insomnia with short sleep on weekdays (a2 = 37%, p < 0.001). We found significant genetic correlations between onset of regular use and both insomnia (rA = 0.20, p = 0.047) and insomnia with short sleep on weekdays (rA = 0.25, p = 0.008) but no significant environmental associations between these traits.

CONCLUSIONS

We found common genetic liabilities for early onset of regular cannabis use and insomnia, implying pleiotropic influences of genes on both traits.

A randomized controlled trial of digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in pregnant women

OBJECTIVE

Despite high rates of prenatal insomnia, efficacious treatment options for this population are quite limited. Early evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) support the efficacy of face-to-face cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) for prenatal insomnia. Yet, as many patients are unable to access this specialist-driven care, a critical need exists to increase its accessibility. This RCT examined the efficacy internet-based digital CBTI in pregnant women with insomnia.

METHODS

Single-site RCT. A total of 91 pregnant women (29.03 ± 4.16 years) nearing/entering the third trimester who screened positive for clinical insomnia on the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were randomized to digital CBTI or digital sleep education control. The ISI, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and Pre-Sleep Arousal Scale's Cognitive factor (PSAS-C) served as study outcomes, which were collected before treatment and after treatment during pregnancy, then six weeks after childbirth.

RESULTS

From pre to posttreatment, CBTI patients reported reductions in ISI (-4.91 points, p < 0.001) and PSQI (-2.98 points, p < 0.001) and increases in nightly sleep duration by 32 min (p = 0.008). Sleep symptoms did not change during pregnancy in the control group. After childbirth, CBTI patients, relative to controls, slept longer by 40 min per night (p = 0.01) and reported better sleep maintenance. No pre or postnatal treatment effects on depression or cognitive arousal were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Digital CBTI improves sleep quality and sleep duration during pregnancy and after childbirth. To better optimize outcomes, CBTI should be tailored to meet the changing needs of women as the progress through pregnancy and early parenting. NAME: Insomnia and Rumination in Late Pregnancy and the Risk for Postpartum Depression. URL: clinicaltrials.gov. Registration: NCT03596879.

Acupuncture for insomnia with short sleep duration: protocol for a randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Insomnia with short sleep duration has a more serious negative impact on patient health. The existing literature suggests that medication therapy is more effective for this phenotype of insomnia compared with cognitive-behavioural therapy. However, the potential side effects of hypnotic medications hinder their clinical application. Acupuncture has been widely used in the treatment of insomnia, but it remains unclear whether it has therapeutic efficacy for insomnia with short sleep duration. The purpose of this trial is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for insomnia with short sleep duration.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This study is designed as a randomised, single-centre, single-blinded, placebo acupuncture controlled trial involving 152 participants. Eligible patients will be divided into two groups according to the objective total sleep time: insomnia with normal sleep duration group and insomnia with short sleep duration group. Then, patients in each group will be randomly assigned to two subgroups, the treatment group (acupuncture) and the control group (placebo acupuncture), in a 1:1 ratio with 38 subjects in each subgroup. The primary outcome is the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Insomnia Severity Index. Secondary outcomes are actigraphy, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory and the Fatigue Severity Scale. All adverse effects will be assessed by the Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale. Outcomes will be evaluated at baseline, post treatment, as well as at 1-week and 1-month follow-up.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This protocol has been approved by the ethics committee of Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (no. 2019-17). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals for publications.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR1900023473; Pre-results.

Adult low-risk drinkers and abstainers are not the same

Background

Alcohol consumption, even at low-levels, can not be guaranteed as safe or risk free. Specifically, the 2009 Australian National Health and Medical Research Council drinking guidelines recommend that adults should not drink more than two standard drinks on any day on average, and no more than four drinks on a single occasion. Nearly 40% of Australians aged 12 years and older drink alcohol but don’t exceed these recommended limits, yet adult low-risk drinkers have been largely overlooked in Australian alcohol survey research, where they are usually grouped with abstainers. This paper examines the socio-demographic profile of low-risk drinking adults (18+ years old), compared to those who abstain.

Methods

Data from the 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey were used. In the past 12 months, 4796 Australians had not consumed alcohol and 8734 had consumed alcohol at low-risk levels, accounting for both average volume and episodic drinking (hereafter low-risk).

Results

Multivariate logistic regression results indicated that low-risk drinkers were more likely to be older, married, Australian-born, and reside in a less disadvantaged neighbourhood compared with abstainers. There was no significant difference by sex between low-risk drinkers and abstainers.

Conclusions

The socio-demographic profile of low-risk drinkers differed from that of abstainers. Combining low-risk drinkers and abstainers into a single group, which is often the practice in survey research, may mask important differences. The study may support improved targeting of health promotion initiatives that encourage low-risk drinkers not to increase consumption or, in view of increasing evidence that low-risk drinking is not risk free, to move towards abstinence.

Association of Dietary Variety and Appetite with Sleep Quality in Urban-Dwelling Older Japanese Adults

OBJECTIVES

Although it has been shown that specific foods and nutrients are associated with sleep quality, few studies have examined the association of dietary variety and appetite with sleep quality in older adults.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A cross-sectional study was conducted that examined the association of dietary variety and appetite with sleep quality in Japanese adults aged ≥70 years who resided in the metropolitan area of Tokyo, Japan.

PARTICIPANTS

Data were collected in two steps: a mailed interview survey and an on-site survey. Those who responded to the surveys and met the inclusion criteria were included.

MEASUREMENTS

Dietary variety, appetite, and sleep quality were assessed using a Dietary Variety Score (DVS), Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire (CNAQ) score, and sleep efficiency, respectively. The sleep efficiency is the ratio of sleep duration to total time in bed (retiring time-awakening time). We defined the individuals with a sleep efficiency less than 75% as having poor sleep quality.

RESULTS

Mean DVS and CNAQ score were 3.8 and 29.6 points, respectively. The rate of individuals with poor sleep quality was 11.7%. In the fully adjusted model, the odds ratios (OR) for low sleep efficiency in the middle and highest group categories of the DVS were 0.83 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54-1.29) and 0.50 (95% CI, 0.28-0.90), respectively, in reference to the lowest group category (p for trend = 0.023). The OR for low sleep efficiency in the middle and highest group categories of the CNAQ score were 0.73 (95% CI, 0.47-1.14) and 0.54 (95% CI, 0.30-0.96), respectively, in reference to the lowest group category (p for trend = 0.031).

CONCLUSIONS

The higher DVS and CNAQ scores were significantly associated with higher sleep efficiency. Thus, dietary variety and good appetite might help maintain good sleep quality in urban-dwelling older Japanese adults.

Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia on Insomnia Symptoms for Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

Insomnia symptoms are a common form of sleep difficulty among people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) affecting sleep quality and health outcomes. Several interventional approaches have been used to improve sleep outcomes in people with T2D. Nonpharmacological approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), show promising results regarding safety and sustainability of improvements, although CBT-I has not been examined in people with T2D. Promoting sleep for people with insomnia and T2D could improve insomnia severity and diabetes outcomes.

Objective

The objective of this study is to establish a protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) to examine the effect of 6 sessions of CBT-I on insomnia severity (primary outcome), sleep variability, and other health-related outcomes in individuals with T2D and insomnia symptoms.

Methods

This RCT will use random mixed block size randomization with stratification to assign 28 participants with T2D and insomnia symptoms to either a CBT-I group or a health education group. Outcomes including insomnia severity; sleep variability; diabetes self-care behavior (DSCB); glycemic control (A_1c); glucose level; sleep quality; daytime sleepiness; and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and pain will be gathered before and after the 6-week intervention. Chi-square and independent t tests will be used to test for between-group differences at baseline. Independent t tests will be used to examine the effect of the CBT-I intervention on change score means for insomnia severity, sleep variability, DSCB, A_1c, fatigue, sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and severity of depression, anxiety, and pain. For all analyses, alpha level will be set at .05.

Results

This study recruitment began in February 2019 and was completed in September 2019.

Conclusions

The intervention, including 6 sessions of CBT-I, will provide insight about its effect in improving insomnia symptoms, sleep variability, fatigue, and diabetes-related health outcomes in people with T2D and those with insomnia symptoms when compared with control.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03713996; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03713996

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/14647

Insomnia and risk of mortality from all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: Systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies

Growing evidence indicates that insomnia may be associated with mortality. However, these findings have been inconsistent. We systematically searched MEDLINE and EMBASE to identify prospective cohort studies that assessed the association between insomnia disorder/individual insomnia symptoms and the risk of mortality among adults aged ≥18 yrs. We addressed this association using summary hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) calculated using random-effects meta-analysis, and the GRADE approach to rate the certainty of evidence. Twenty-nine cohorts including 1,598,628 individuals (55.3% men; mean age 63.7 yrs old) with a median follow-up duration of 10.5 yrs proved eligible. Difficulty falling asleep (DFA) and non-restorative sleep (NRS) were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (DFA: HR = 1.13, 95%CI 1.03 to 1.23, p = 0.009, moderate certainty; NRS: HR = 1.23, 95%CI 1.07 to 1.42, p = 0.003, high certainty) and cardiovascular disease mortality (DFA: 1.20, 95%CI: 1.01, 1.43; p = 0.04, moderate certainty; NRS: HR = 1.48, 95%CI 1.06 to 2.06, p = 0.02, moderate certainty). Convincing associations between DFA and all-cause mortality were restricted to the mid to older-aged population (moderate credibility). Insomnia disorder, difficulty maintaining sleep, and early morning awakening proved to be unassociated with all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality. No insomnia symptoms proved to be associated with cancer-related mortality.

Poor sleep is linked to impeded recovery from traumatic brain injury

Study Objectives

While disruptions in sleep are common after mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), the longitudinal relationships between sleep problems and global functioning after injury are poorly understood. Here, we prospectively investigate risk for functional impairment during the first 6 months of TBI recovery based on sleep onset insomnia symptoms and short sleep.

Methods

Patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) at Johns Hopkins Hospital within 24 hours of head injury and evaluated for TBI were eligible for our study. Demographic and injury-related information were collected in the ED. Patients then completed in-person surveys and phone interviews to provide follow-up data on global functioning, sleep, and depressive symptoms at 1, 3, and 6 months post-injury. A total of 238 patients provided sufficient data for analysis, and hypotheses were tested using mixed effects modeling.

Results

Sleep quality and global functioning improved over the 6 months of TBI recovery, but patients were at increased risk for functional impairment when sleeping poorly (odds ratio [OR] = 7.69, p < .001). Sleep onset insomnia symptoms and short sleep both independently corresponded to poor global functioning. Functional impairment was highest among those with both insomnia and short sleep (43%-79%) compared to good sleepers (15%-25%) and those with short sleep (29%-33%) or insomnia alone (33%-64%). A bidirectional relationship between sleep quality and functioning was observed.

Conclusions

Functionally impaired patients diagnosed predominantly with mild TBI exhibit high rates of insomnia and short sleep, which may impede TBI recovery. Monitoring sleep after head injury may identify patients with poor prognoses and allow for early intervention to improve functional outcomes.

Depression and suicidal ideation in pregnancy: exploring relationships with insomnia, short sleep, and nocturnal rumination

BACKGROUND

Sleep problems and depression are highly prevalent in pregnancy. Nocturnal rumination has been linked to insomnia and depression in non-pregnant samples, but remains poorly characterized in pregnancy. This study explored relationships of depression and suicidal ideation with insomnia, short sleep, and nocturnal rumination in mid-to-late pregnancy.

METHODS

In this study, 267 pregnant women were recruited from obstetric clinics and completed online surveys on sleep, depression, and nocturnal rumination.

RESULTS

Over half (58.4%) of the sample reported clinical insomnia on the Insomnia Severity Index, 16.1% screened positive for major depression on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and 10.1% endorsed suicidal ideation. Nocturnal rumination was more robustly associated with sleep onset difficulties than with sleep maintenance issues. Depressed women were at greater odds of sleep onset insomnia (OR = 2.80), sleep maintenance insomnia (OR = 6.50), high nocturnal rumination (OR = 6.50), and negative perinatal-focused rumination (OR = 2.70). Suicidal ideation was associated with depression (OR = 3.64) and negative perinatal-focused rumination (OR = 3.50). A four-group comparison based on insomnia status and high/low rumination revealed that pregnant women with insomnia and high rumination endorsed higher rates of depression (35.6%) and suicidal ideation (17.3%) than good-sleeping women with low rumination (1.2% depressed, 4.9% suicidal). Women with insomnia alone (depression: 3.9%, suicidal: 5.9%) or high rumination alone (depression: 10.7%, suicidal: 7.1%) did not differ from good-sleeping women with low rumination.

CONCLUSIONS

High rumination and insomnia are highly common in mid-to-late pregnancy and both are associated with depression and suicidal ideation. Depression and suicidal ideation are most prevalent in pregnant women with both insomnia and high rumination. CLINICALTRIALS.

GOV IDENTIFIER

NCT03596879.

Insomnia among Town Residents in Ethiopia: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

Background

Insomnia is one of the most common sleep problems throughout the world and a major public health concern among adults in the general population. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of insomnia and its associated factors among town adult residents in Ethiopia.

Methods

Community-based cross-sectional study was done among 840 randomly selected adult participants by using standardized and pretested Athens insomnia scale (AIS) to assess insomnia. Systematic random sampling technique was used to get samples of the study participants. Data were entered into Epi-Info and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression models were used for analysis. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was used to show the odds, and P value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Results

The prevalence of insomnia was found to be 42.9%. Sleep problems were associated with female sex [AOR =2.74, 95% CI; (1.77, 4.24)], age above 48 years [AOR=4.67, 95% CI: (2.32, 9.40)], being single [AOR=2.81, 95% CI (1.59, 4.95)] and widowed [AOR=4.20, 95% CI; (1.60, 11.01)], khat chewing [AOR=1.76,95% CI; (1.19, 2.60)], current tobacco smoking [AOR=3.13, 95% CI; (1.64, 5.95)], caffeinated beverage use [AOR=1.67, 95% CI; (1.12, 2.49)], comorbid medical-surgical disorders [AOR=2.03, 95% CI; (1.18, 3.48)], common mental disorders [AOR=8.92, 95% CI; (5.93,13.44)], and noise at bed time [AOR=2.13 95% CI; (1.20, 3.78)].

Conclusion

The prevalence of insomnia has to be found high and associated with many area related factors. It is important to pay attention in urban settings and large scale studies recommended.

Unravelling the Prospective Associations Between Mixed Anxiety-Depression and Insomnia During the Course of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

OBJECTIVE

Previous studies have suggested that there is a reciprocal relationship between anxiety/depression and insomnia. However, little is known about the prospective relationships between these constructs across the course of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The aim of the study was to examine these relationships in clients who received short-term CBT in a primary care setting.

METHODS

A total of 653 clients (mean [SD] age = 37.8 [12.9], 26.4% men) with mild to moderate levels of anxiety and depression and a treatment duration of at least 7 weeks were included for analyses. The clients completed questionnaires measuring mixed anxiety-depression (MAD - Patient Health Questionnaire Anxiety and Depression Scale) and insomnia (3 items derived from the Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire representing core DSM-V criteria) on a session-to-session basis. The data were analyzed using latent growth curve models and random intercept cross-lagged panel models.

RESULTS

The results of the latent growth curve models showed that there was a significant decrease in both MAD (cubic slope; B = .002, p < .001, quadratic slope; B = .036, p < .001, linear slope; B = -.205, p < .001) and insomnia (linear slope; B = -.080, p < .001) across treatment. A strong correlation (r = .838, p < .001) between the linear slopes indicated co-occurring change processes. The cross-lagged panel model showed that insomnia significantly predicted MAD at the subsequent measurements (B = .190, p < .001), but not vice versa (B = .252, p = .343).

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in MAD and insomnia are co-occurring processes during the course of CBT. Changes in insomnia predicted prospectively changes in MAD, but not vice versa. Targeting insomnia in the context of brief CBT in clients with mild to moderate anxiety and depression may therefore further reduce not only symptoms of insomnia but also symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Insomnia and mortality: A meta-analysis

The purpose of this review was to evaluate the strength of evidence for a relationship between risk of mortality and frequent and ongoing insomnia using a meta-analytic strategy. Seventeen studies, including a total of 36,938,981 individuals followed up for a mean of 11.6 y, reporting the investigation of the association between mortality and frequent (≥3 nights/wk), ongoing (≥1 mo) insomnia were identified. There was no difference in the odds of mortality for those individuals with symptoms of insomnia when compared to those without symptoms (OR = 1.06, 95%CI = 0.61-1.84, p = .84). This finding was echoed in the assessment of the rate of mortality in those with and without symptoms of insomnia using the outcomes of multivariate models, with the most complete adjustment for potential confounders, as reported by the individual studies included in this meta-analysis (HR = 1.07, 95%CI = .96-.1.19, p = .22). Additional analyses revealed a tendency for an increased risk of mortality associated with hypnotic use. The current evidence reinforces the use of cognitive therapy, within a CBTi framework, as a frontline non-pharmacological treatment for insomnia to reassure patients their longevity will not be impacted as a consequence of suffering from insomnia.

Insomnia and hypertension: A systematic review

Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder that is associated with a multitude of health consequences. Particularly, insomnia has been associated with cardiovascular disease and its precursors, such as hypertension and blood pressure (BP) non-dipping. The present systematic review aimed to summarize the evidence on the concurrent and prospective associations between insomnia and hypertension and/or BP. Using electronic search engines (PubMed, SCOPUS, PsycINFO), 5,618 articles published from January 1970 to December 2017 were identified, and 64 met the inclusion criteria (26 to 162,121 participants; age range: 18-100; 46.4% male). Insomnia was based on diagnostic or non-diagnostic criteria. Hypertension was based on self-or physician-reports, antihypertensive medication use, and/or measured BP. Findings indicate that when insomnia is frequent, chronic, and/or accompanied with short sleep duration or objective markers of arousal, there is a strong association with hypertension/BP. Based on limited studies, hypertension did not significantly predict future insomnia in middle-aged adults, but did in older adults. Based on a majority of case-control studies, no differences in BP were found between participants with and without insomnia. Further research is needed to identify putative pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the link between insomnia and hypertension. The impact of insomnia therapy on BP should also be further examined in the future.

The association of insomnia and depressive symptoms with all-cause mortality among middle-aged and old adults

OBJECTIVES

Insomnia and depressive symptoms are commonly reported by adults and have independently been found to be associated with mortality, though contrasting findings are reported. Given the high comorbidity and interrelatedness between these symptoms, we tested whether insomnia symptoms explain risk of death independent of depressive symptoms. We examined insomnia symptoms and depressive symptoms, in addition to other health and demographic covariates, as predictors of all-cause mortality.

METHODS

The sample included 15 418 adults aged 51 and older drawn from a nationally representative, population-based study of adults in the United States, the Health and Retirement Study. Cox survival models were used to analyze time to death between the 2002 and 2014 study waves (5 waves). Controlling for health and demographic covariates, in 3 separate models, depressive symptoms and insomnia symptoms were independently and then together considered as risk factors for all-cause mortality (drawn from the National Death Index).

RESULTS

After adjustment for covariates, insomnia symptoms (HR = 1.10, CI:1.07-1.13) and depressive symptoms (HR = 1.14, CI:1.12-1.16) each were associated with a greater hazard of death. When considered together, however, depressive symptoms fully accounted for the association between insomnia symptoms and mortality.

CONCLUSION

Though their effects are small relative to health and demographic characteristics, both insomnia symptoms and depressive symptoms were associated with a greater hazard of death. Yet depressive symptoms accounted for the insomnia association when both were considered in the model. Screening for depression and providing validated treatments may reduce mortality risk in old adults with depressive symptoms.

Sleep disturbance as a clinical sign for severe hypogonadism: efficacy of testosterone replacement therapy on sleep disturbance among hypogonadal men without obstructive sleep apnea

OBJECTIVE

The present subanalysis of the EARTH study investigates the effects of one year testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) on sleep disturbance among hypogonadal men without obstructive sleep apnea.

METHODS

Sleep disturbance was defined as three or more points in question 4 of the aging males symptoms (AMS) questionnaire. All participants completed the AMS scale, International Prostatic Symptoms Score (IPSS), Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) and Short Form 36 (SF-36) health survey at baseline and after 12 months. Sexual symptoms were also evaluated based on three AMS subscores (Q15, 16 and 17).

RESULTS

We identified 100 patients with sleep disturbance, of whom 48 (24 each in the TRT and control groups) were ultimately included for analysis. All SF-36 categories , AMS scale, IPSS and SHIM score subdomains were significantly worse in patients with sleep disturbance than in those without disturbance. Statistically significant differences in sleep disturbance, erectile symptoms, sexual desire and some domains of the SF-36 were observed between the TRT and control groups after 12 months.

CONCLUSION

Sleep disturbance may be one of the clinical signs for severe hypogonadism. Moreover, TRT improved sleep conditions, sexual function and quality of life among hypogonadal men with sleep disturbance.

Insomnia with objective short sleep duration and risk of incident cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: Sleep Heart Health Study

Study Objectives

To quantify the association between insomnia or poor sleep with objective short sleep duration and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality in the general population.

Methods

We conducted a time-to-event analysis of Sleep Heart Health Study data. Questionnaires and at-home polysomnography (PSG) were performed between 1994 and 1998. Participants were followed for a median of 11.4 years (Q1-Q3, 8.8-12.4 years) until death or last contact. The primary exposure was insomnia or poor sleep with short sleep defined as follows: difficulty falling asleep, difficulty returning to sleep, early morning awakenings, or sleeping pill use, 16-30 nights per month; and total sleep of <6 hr on PSG. We used proportional hazard models to estimate the association between insomnia or poor sleep with short sleep and CVD, as well as all-cause mortality.

Results

Among 4994 participants (mean age: 64.0 ± 11.1 years), 14.1 per cent reported insomnia or poor sleep, of which 50.3 per cent slept <6 hr. Among 4437 CVD-free participants at baseline, we observed 818 incident CVD events. After propensity adjustment, there was a 29 per cent higher risk of incident CVD in the insomnia or poor sleep with short sleep group compared with the reference group (HR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.66), but neither the insomnia or poor sleep only nor short sleep only groups were associated with higher incident CVD. Insomnia or poor sleep with objective short sleep was not associated with all-cause mortality (HR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.86, 1.33).

Conclusions

Insomnia or poor sleep with PSG-short sleep was associated with higher risk of incident CVD. Future studies should evaluate the impact of interventions to improve insomnia with PSG-short sleep on CVD.

Towards establishing evidence-based guidelines on maximum indoor temperatures during hot weather in temperate continental climates

Rising environmental temperatures represent a major threat to human health. The activation of heat advisories using evidence-based thresholds for high-risk outdoor ambient temperatures have been shown to be an effective strategy to save lives during hot weather. However, although the relationship between weather and human health has been widely defined by outdoor temperature, corresponding increases in indoor temperature during heat events can also be harmful to health especially in vulnerable populations. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of the relationship between outdoor temperature and human health and examine how human health can also be adversely influenced by high indoor temperatures during heat events. Our assessment of the existing literature revealed a high degree of variability in what can be considered an acceptable indoor temperature because there are differences in how different groups of people may respond physiologically and behaviorally to the same living environment. Finally, we demonstrate that both non-physiological (e.g., geographical location, urban density, building design) and physiological (e.g., sex, age, fitness, state of health) factors must be considered when defining an indoor temperature threshold for preserving human health in a warming global climate.

Insomnia symptoms and sleep duration and their combined effects in relation to associations with obesity and central obesity

OBJECTIVE

Previous studies have shown that both sleep duration and insomnia have an impact on obesity and central obesity. However, studies of the joint effects of these sleep disorders are still sparse.

METHODS

The present study utilized data from the Swedish EpiHealth cohort study. Participants (45-78 y) were asked to fill out an internet-based questionnaire. Body mass index (BMI) and central obesity (calculated from waist circumference) were based on measured data.

RESULTS

A total of 18,823 participants (mean age = 60 ys) were included in this study. The reported prevalence of short (<6 h/night) and long (>9 h/night) sleep duration was 8% and 4% respectively, and insomnia symptoms was 19%. Of the study population, 16% were obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) and 40% had central obesity. There was a U-shaped association between sleep duration and obesity and central obesity, and significant associations between insomnia symptoms and obesity. When stratifying sleep duration by concurrent insomnia symptoms, there were associations (odds ratios, (95% confidence intervals)) between the combination of both short (1.48, (1.22-1.80)) and long sleep duration (1.77 (1.00-3.16)) with insomnia symptoms and obesity and central obesity (1.36 (1.16-1.61) and 2.44 (1.41-3.24) respectively). However, there was no significant association between insomnia symptoms and obesity or central obesity in participants with normal sleep duration. For central obesity there was an association with long sleep duration regardless of insomnia symptoms, while the association with short sleep duration was significant only if insomnia symptoms were present.

CONCLUSIONS

Both short and long sleep duration, as well as insomnia symptoms, are associated with obesity and central obesity. There is an important joint effect of sleep duration and insomnia symptoms and there is no association between insomnia symptoms and obesity, as long as a normal sleeping time can be attained. This indicates that sleep duration rather than insomnia symptoms per se is of importance for the relationship between sleep and obesity.

Insomnia Patients With Objective Short Sleep Duration Have a Blunted Response to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia

Study Objectives

This study examined whether individuals with insomnia and objective short sleep duration <6 h, a subgroup with greater risks of adverse health outcomes, differ in their response to cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) when compared to individuals with insomnia and normal sleep duration ≥6 h.

Methods

Secondary analyses of a randomized, clinical trial with 60 adult participants (n = 31 women) from a single academic medical center. Outpatient treatment lasted 8 weeks, with a final follow-up conducted at 6 months. Mixed-effects models controlling for age, sex, CBT-I treatment group assignment, and treatment provider examined sleep parameters gathered via actigraphy, sleep diaries, and an Insomnia Symptom Questionnaire (ISQ) across the treatment and follow-up period.

Results

Six months post-CBT-I treatment, individuals with insomnia and normal sleep duration ≥6 h fared significantly better on clinical improvement milestones than did those with insomnia and short sleep duration <6 h. Specifically, individuals with insomnia and normal sleep duration had significantly higher insomnia remission (ISQ < 36.5; χ2[1, N = 60] = 44.72, p < .0001), more normative sleep efficiency (SE) on actigraphy (SE > 80%; χ2[1, N = 60] = 21, p < .0001), normal levels of middle of the night wake after sleep onset (MWASO) <31 minutes (χ2[1, N = 60] = 37.85, p < .0001), and a >50% decline in MWASO (χ2[1, N = 60] = 60, p < .0001) compared to individuals with insomnia and short sleep duration. Additionally, those with insomnia and normal sleep duration had more success decreasing their total wake time (TWT) at the 6-month follow-up compared to those with insomnia and short sleep duration (χ2[2, N = 60] = 44.1, p < .0001). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis found that using a 6-h cutoff with actigraphy provided a 95.7% sensitivity and 91.9% specificity for determining insomnia remission, with the area under the curve = 0.986.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that individuals with insomnia and objective short sleep duration <6 h are significantly less responsive to CBT-I than those with insomnia and normal sleep duration ≥6 h. Using an actigraphy TST cutoff of 6 hours to classify sleep duration groups was highly accurate and provided good discriminant value for determining insomnia remission.

The Course and Impact of Poststroke Insomnia in Stroke Survivors Aged 18 to 65 Years: Results from the Psychosocial Outcomes In StrokE (POISE) Study

Background

Insomnia symptoms are common in the population and have negative psychosocial and functional sequelae. There are no prospective studies of the course of such symptoms and their impact, if any, in stroke survivors. This prospective cohort study investigated insomnia after stroke in working-age adults and evaluated its impact on psychological and functional outcomes over the subsequent year.

Methods

We prospectively recruited 441 young (<65 years) consecutive stroke survivors from 20 public hospitals in the New South Wales Stroke Service network. Participants were assessed by self-report and interview at 28 days, 6 months, and 12 months after stroke. Insomnia was defined using a common epidemiological measure of sleep disturbance and daytime consequences. Depression, anxiety, disability, and return to work were assessed through standardized measures.

Results

The point prevalence of insomnia at each time point in the year after stroke was stable at 30–37% and more common in females. Fifty-eight (16%) of all participants reported “chronic” insomnia, with symptoms at both baseline and 6 months later. At 12 months, this group was more likely to be depressed (OR 6.75, 95% CI 2.78–16.4), anxious (OR 3.31, 95% CI 1.54–7.09), disabled (OR 3.60, 95% CI 2.07–6.25), and not have returned to work, compared to those without insomnia over the same period.

Conclusions

Chronic insomnia has a negative effect on disability and return to work 1 year after stroke even after adjusting for demographic, psychiatric, and disability factors. Identifying and appropriately targeting insomnia through known effective treatments may improve functional outcomes after stroke.

The insomnia with short sleep duration phenotype: an update on it's importance for health and prevention

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

It was first proposed in the late 1990s that objective markers of sleep disturbance could serve as an index of the biological severity of insomnia. In 2013, a heuristic model of two insomnia phenotypes based on objective sleep duration was proposed. Herein, we review the studies conducted in the past 3 years on the insomnia with short sleep duration phenotype and its implications for a clinical research agenda.

RECENT FINDINGS

Studies have shown that insomnia with objective short sleep duration is associated with physiologic hyperarousal and cardiometabolic and neurocognitive morbidity, whereas insomnia with normal sleep duration is not. Both insomnia phenotypes are associated with psychiatric morbidity albeit through different psychobiological mechanisms. Novel recent studies have included occupational outcomes, developmental approaches, at-home objective sleep testing, diagnostic accuracy measures, and response to cognitive-behavioral treatment.

SUMMARY

Accumulating evidence in the past years has continued to support that insomnia with short sleep duration is a more severe phenotype of the disorder associated with physiologic changes, significant morbidity and mortality and, potentially, a differential response to treatment.

DSM-5 Insomnia and Short Sleep: Comorbidity Landscape and Racial Disparities

STUDY OBJECTIVES

We estimated rates of cardiometabolic disease, pain conditions, and psychiatric illness associated with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) insomnia disorder (current and in remission) and habitual short sleep (fewer than 6 h), and examined the roles of insomnia and short sleep in racial disparities in disease burden between black and non-Hispanic white Americans.

METHODS

This epidemiological survey study was cross-sectional. The community-based sample consisted of 3,911 subjects (46.0 y ± 13.3; 65.4% female; 25.0% black) across six sleep groups based on DSM-5 insomnia classification (never vs. remitted vs. current) and self-reported habitual sleep duration (normal vs. short). Vascular events, cardiometabolic disease, pain conditions, and psychiatric symptoms were self-reported.

RESULTS

Short sleeping insomniacs were at elevated risk for myocardial infarction, stroke, treated hypertension, diabetes, chronic pain, back pain, depression, and anxiety, independent of sex, age, and obesity. Morbidity profiles for insomniacs with normal sleep duration and former insomniacs, irrespective of sleep duration, were similar with elevations in treated hypertension, chronic pain, depression, and anxiety. Regarding racial disparities, cardiometabolic and psychiatric illness burden was greater for blacks, who were more likely to have short sleep and the short sleep insomnia phenotype. Evidence suggested that health disparities may be attributable in part to race-related differences in sleep.

CONCLUSIONS

Insomnia disorder with short sleep is the most severe phenotype of insomnia and comorbid with many cardiometabolic and psychiatric illnesses, whereas morbidity profiles are highly similar between insomniacs with normal sleep duration and former insomniacs. Short sleep endemic to black Americans increases risk for the short sleep insomnia phenotype and likely contributes to racial disparities in cardiometabolic disease and psychiatric illness.

Insomnia symptoms and mortality: a register-linked study among women and men from Finland, Norway and Lithuania

Evidence on the association between insomnia symptoms and mortality is limited and inconsistent. This study examined the association between insomnia symptoms and mortality in cohorts from three countries to show common and unique patterns. The Finnish cohort comprised 6605 employees of the City of Helsinki, aged 40-60 years at baseline in 2000-2002. The Norwegian cohort included 6236 participants from Western Norway, aged 40-45 years at baseline in 1997-1999. The Lithuanian cohort comprised 1602 participants from the City of Palanga, aged 35-74 years at baseline in 2003. Mortality data were derived from the Statistics Finland and Norwegian Cause of Death Registry until the end of 2012, and from the Lithuanian Regional Mortality Register until the end of 2013. Insomnia symptoms comprised difficulties initiating sleep, nocturnal awakenings, and waking up too early. Covariates were age, marital status, education, smoking, alcohol, physical inactivity, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, depression, shift work, sleep duration, and self-rated health. Cox regression analysis was used. Frequent difficulties initiating sleep were associated with all-cause mortality among men after full adjustments in the Finnish (hazard ratio 2.51; 95% confidence interval 1.07-5.88) and Norwegian (hazard ratio 3.42; 95% confidence interval 1.03-11.35) cohorts. Among women and in Lithuania, insomnia symptoms were not statistically significantly associated with all-cause mortality after adjustments. In conclusion, difficulties initiating sleep were associated with mortality among Norwegian and Finnish men. Variation and heterogeneity in the association between insomnia symptoms and mortality highlights that further research needs to distinguish between men and women, specific symptoms and national contexts, and focus on more chronic insomnia.

Sleep disturbances in adolescents with ADHD: A systematic review and framework for future research

BACKGROUND

Biological mechanisms underlying symptom and prognostic heterogeneity in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are unclear. Sleep impacts neurocognition and daytime functioning and is disrupted in ADHD, yet little is known about sleep in ADHD during adolescence, a period characterized by alterations in sleep, brain structure, and environmental demands as well as diverging ADHD trajectories.

METHODS

A systematic review identified studies published prior to August 2016 assessing sleep in adolescents (aged 10-19years) with ADHD or participating in population-based studies measuring ADHD symptoms.

RESULTS

Twenty-five studies were identified (19 subjective report, 6 using actigraphy/polysomnography). Findings are mixed but overall suggest associations between sleep disturbances and 1) ADHD symptoms in the population and 2) poorer clinical, neurocognitive, and functional outcomes among adolescents with ADHD. Common limitations of studies included small or non-representative samples, non-standardized sleep measures, and cross-sectional methodology.

CONCLUSIONS

Current data on sleep in adolescent ADHD are sparse and limited by methodological concerns. Future studies are critical for clarifying a potential role of sleep in contributing to heterogeneity of ADHD presentation and prognosis. Potential mechanisms by which sleep disturbances during adolescence may contribute to worsened symptom severity and persistence of ADHD into adulthood and an agenda to guide future research are discussed.

Objective but Not Subjective Short Sleep Duration Associated with Increased Risk for Hypertension in Individuals with Insomnia

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To examine the relationship between hypertension prevalence in individuals with insomnia who have short total sleep duration < 6 h or sleep duration ≥ 6 h, using both objective and subjective measures of total sleep duration.

METHODS

Using a cross-sectional, observational design, 255 adult volunteers (n = 165 women; 64.7%) meeting current diagnostic criteria for insomnia disorder (MAge = 46.2 y, SDAge = 13.7 y) participated in this study at two large university medical centers. Two nights of polysomnography, 2 w of sleep diaries, questionnaires focused on sleep, medical, psychological, and health history, including presence/absence of hypertension were collected. Logistic regressions assessed the odds ratios of hypertension among persons with insomnia with short sleep duration < 6 h compared to persons with insomnia with a sleep duration ≥ 6 h, measured both objectively and subjectively.

RESULTS

Consistent with previous studies using objective total sleep duration, individuals with insomnia and short sleep duration < 6 h were associated with a 3.59 increased risk of reporting hypertension as a current medical problem as compared to individuals with insomnia with sleep duration ≥ 6 h. Increased risk for hypertension was independent of major confounding factors frequently associated with insomnia or hypertension. No significant risk was observed using subjectively determined total sleep time groups. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis found that the best balance of sensitivity and specificity using subjective total sleep time was at a 6-h cutoff, but the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve showed low accuracy and did not have good discriminant value.

CONCLUSIONS

Objectively measured short sleep duration increased the odds of reporting hypertension more than threefold after adjusting for potential confounders; this relationship was not significant for subjectively measured sleep duration. This research supports emerging evidence that insomnia with objective short sleep duration is associated with an increased risk of comorbid hypertension.