The Burden of Sleep/Wake Disorders: Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and Insomnia Project

Abstract

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and insomnia (IN) complaints represent the most common sleep/wake disorders. Currently, the specific needs of these patients and their relatives, as well as the overall socio-economic burden of IN and EDS remains widely unexplored. This pilot study to be carried out in Switzerland is a retro- and prospective, national, one-center cohort observational study for the systematic evaluation of the burden of EDS and IN and its evolution 12 months after the first assessment. Patient recruitment will be organized through 7-8 primary care providers (primary/general care practitioners and pharmacies). Primary outcomes are the prevalence of EDS/IN in the primary care setting and the association between EDS/IN with health-related quality of life (QOL) as assessed with the established instruments. Secondary outcomes are the association between EDS/IN with the presence of comorbidities, number of injuries/accidents, and number of sick/leave days for the subgroup of working subjects. Calculation of direct per-patient costs will be undertaken to analyze the economic implications of sleep/wake disorders, providing valuable insights into the financial burden experienced by affected individuals within the healthcare system. This research will provide information on the feasibility of such a study and inform on aspects of the QOL most associated with EDS/IN. Based on this pilot project, a European multicenter study on the burden of sleep/wake disorders will be conducted by the European Academy of Neurology.

Keywords: excessive daytime sleepiness; insomnia; quality of life; sleep/wake disorders; socio-economic burden.

Figure 1

An overview of the study design. Abbreviations: ESS, Epworth Sleepiness Scale; ISI, Insomnia Severity Index; SF-12, Short Form survey with 12 items; PSQI, Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index; EQ-5D-5L, The 5-level health-related quality of life questionnaire from EuroQOL Group.