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. 2015 Mar;16(3):372-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2014.12.008. Epub 2015 Jan 14.

Trends in insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness among U.S. adults from 2002 to 2012

Earl S Ford  1 , Timothy J Cunningham  2 , Wayne H Giles  2 , Janet B Croft  2
Affiliations

Trends in insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness among U.S. adults from 2002 to 2012

Earl S Ford et al. Sleep Med. 2015 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: Insomnia is a prevalent disorder in the United States and elsewhere. It has been associated with a range of somatic and psychiatric conditions, and adversely affects quality of life, productivity at work, and school performance. The objective of this study was to examine the trend in self-reported insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness among US adults.

Methods: We used data of participants aged ≥18 years from the National Health Interview Survey for the years 2002 (30,970 participants), 2007 (23,344 participants), and 2012 (34,509 participants).

Results: The unadjusted prevalence of insomnia or trouble sleeping increased from 17.5% (representing 37.5 million adults) in 2002 to 19.2% (representing 46.2 million adults) in 2012 (relative increase: +8.0%) (P trend <0.001). The age-adjusted prevalence increased from 17.4% to 18.8%. Significant increases were present among participants aged 18-24, 25-34, 55-64, and 65-74 years, men, women, whites, Hispanics, participants with diabetes, and participants with joint pain. Large relative increases occurred among participants aged 18-24 years (+30.9%) and participants with diabetes (+27.0%). The age-adjusted percentage of participants who reported regularly having excessive daytime sleepiness increased from 9.8% to 12.7% (P trend <0.001). Significant increases were present in most demographic groups. The largest relative increase was among participants aged 25-34 years (+49%). Increases were also found among participants with hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and joint pain.

Conclusions: Given the deleterious effects of insomnia on health and performance, the increasing prevalence of insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness among US adults is a potentially troubling development.

Keywords: Arthralgia; Diabetes; Health surveys; Insomnia; Population surveillance; Trends.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The ICMJE Uniform Disclosure Form for Potential Conflicts of Interest associated with this article can be viewed by clicking on the following link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2014.12.008.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Age-adjusted percentages (95% confidence interval) of selected factors among US adults aged ≥18 years, National Health Interview Survey. Sample sizes ranged from 29,971 to 31,044 in 2002, 22,331 to 23,393 in 2007, and 33,635 to 34,525 in 2012.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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