Insomnia in the community

Abstract

This study is the first to document the prevalence of insomnia in Malays and Chinese in a Singapore community. The overall rate of insomnia was low at 15.3% with females and Malays at higher risk. Patients with insomnia had significantly higher sleep latency, awakenings at night, as well as a report of not feeling fresh throughout the day. There was an association between insomnia patients with increased stress levels, especially at home, and a higher rate of co-morbid minor psychiatric disorder. However, most patients do not seek medical help, and even less resort to sleeping pills.