One-Third of Primary Care Patients Report Insomnia

One-third of adults visiting primary care practices suffer from insomnia, according to a study in the current issue of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.
More than 1900 adults at five primary care practices in North Carolina completed surveys on sleep problems. Participants were, on average, 50 years old; about two-thirds were female. Overall:
• 34% had sleep maintenance insomnia, defined as typically waking up at least three times a night;
• 28% experienced symptoms of restless legs syndrome once weekly or more;
• 14% had sleep apnea symptoms at least monthly;
• 37% dozed off during daily activities once a week or more.
The authors write that "effective management of sleep complaints involves screening, diagnosis, the search for and treatment of risk factors, and the identification and treatment of specific syndromes," such as restless legs syndrome or obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.