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Depression and insomnia in women.

Depression and insomnia are both significantly more prevalent in women than in men. Risks appear linked to fluctuations and transitions in gonadal hormones during various phases of women's lives, with the risk of depression greatest during the period from menarche to menopause. Increased risks of both insomnia and depression also coincide with the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, during and after pregnancy, and during the peri-/postmenopausal period. Gonadal hormones exert significant effects on the neurohumoral systems most intimately associated with depression and insomnia, with corresponding implications for treatment. Medications related to the serotonin system-the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs-appear to be uniquely effective in the treatment of insomnia and depression experienced by women. SSRIs and the nonbenzodiazepine receptor agonists are generally useful as first-line treatments in a number of circumstances; hormone replacement therapies can also be considered. Behavioral therapies for insomnia may be particularly relevant for postpartum patients because of safety concerns and to prevent the development of autonomous chronic insomnia, which may also increase the risk of depression. In light of the high risk of relapse and high likelihood of comorbidity, it is crucial to effectively treat both insomnia and depression in women. However, few data exist for many key areas related to the treatment of these disorders in women, and research is greatly needed.

Adult↗

Self-reported levels of sleepiness among subjects with insomnia.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of sleepiness in a cohort of insomnia subjects. We evaluated if differential levels of subjective sleepiness predict systematic differences in the polysomnographic characteristics of these subjects.Background: Insomnia is prevalent among the adult population. While it has been speculated that sleepiness may be an important daytime consequence of insomnia, this has not been demonstrated.Methods: Sixty-two subjects with complaints of insomnia for at least 6 months were polysomnographically evaluated. Subjects were asked to self-report their level of sleepiness based on their experiences for the previous 7 days. Subjects were divided into three groups based on their level of sleepiness. Sleepiness was determined using the excessive daytime sleepiness scale of the Sleep/Wake Activity Inventory (SWAI-EDS).Results: Twenty-two percent of insomnia subjects were found to be sleepy on the EDS scale of the SWAI. The level of sleepiness was also found to predict difficulty initiating sleep both on the nocturnal scale of the SWAI, and on nocturnal polysomnography.Conclusions: This study established a base rate of sleepiness among a cohort of insomnia subjects. It also demonstrated a wide spectrum of sleepiness/alertness among subjects with insomnia. Differential levels of sleepiness were found to predict nocturnal sleep latencies.

Journal Article↗

Prevalence and consequences of insomnia disorders in the general population of Italy.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of insomnia disorders using DSM-IV classification, and the consequences of insomnia in the Italian general population. METHODS: A representative sample of the Italian general population composed of 3970 individuals aged 15 years or older were interviewed by telephone using the Sleep-EVAL system (participation rate: 89.4%). Participants were interviewed about their sleep habits and sleep disorders. DSM-IV classification was used by Sleep-EVAL to determine the sleep disorder diagnosis. RESULTS: Insomnia symptoms were reported by 27.6% of the sample. Sleep dissatisfaction was found in 10.1% and insomnia disorder diagnoses in 7% of the sample. The use of sleep-enhancing medication was reported by 5.7% of the sample. Most of these subjects were using anxiolytics. Dissatisfaction with sleep was associated with daytime sleepiness. Middle-aged drivers dissatisfied with their sleep were three times more likely to have had a road accident in the previous year compared to other drivers. However, fewer than 30% of subjects dissatisfied with their sleep or with an insomnia disorder diagnosis had consulted a physician about their sleep problem. CONCLUSIONS: As in other European and non-European countries, insomnia is widespread in Italy. The consequences are important. Appropriate recognition and treatment of insomnia should be part of an educational program for general practitioners everywhere.

Journal Article↗

Pathophysiology and management of insomnia during depression.

Depressed patients often report problems sleeping, and epidemiologic evidence suggests that insomnia may precede the onset of depression. Insomnia is associated with marked impairment in quality of life and ability to function effectively. Many studies have indicated that patients with chronic sleep problems have impaired mood and that effective management of insomnia in depressed patients can markedly improve their depression. Diagnosis of insomnia is challenging because there can be many different causes and the clinical picture can be blurred by the presence of other psychiatric illnesses. Pharmacotherapy provides reliable and rapid relief from insomnia, whereas behavioral therapies help produce long-term improvement. For many years, benzodiazepines have been the mainstay of drug treatment for insomnia. However, these drugs have significant side effects, and tolerance and dependence have discouraged use. Many doctors use sedating antidepressants in low doses to treat chronic insomnia. However, there is little evidence supporting the efficacy of these agents, and many have adverse side effects, including impairment of sleep. The newer selective hypnotic drugs, including the imidazopyridines, may offer patients a better short-term alternative to benzodiazepines or sedating antidepressants.

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗

Daytime activity and risk factors for late-life insomnia.

Laboratory evidence linking exercise with improved sleep quality raises the possibility that the lower levels of physical activity characteristic of older age groups may contribute to late-life insomnia. While support for this hypothesis appears to come from epidemiological surveys, few such studies have distinguished satisfactorily between social and physical activities which differ widely in terms of energy cost and theoretical significance. The present analyses were, therefore, designed to assess the independent influence of physical and social activity levels on the prevalence and natural history of late-life insomnia. Survivors from a nationally representative UK sample (n = 1042) of elderly people originally interviewed in 1985 were reassessed in 1989 (n = 690) and 1993 (n = 410). Detailed assessments of physical and social activities, mental and physical health status, and sleep quality were made at each survey wave. Logistic regression models, adjusted for age, sex and health status, were used to assess relationships between activity levels and the prevalence, remission/persistence, and incidence of late-life insomnia. Lower physical health, depressed mood and lower physical (but not social) activity levels consistently emerged as significant risk factors for prevalent, persistent and incident insomnia. Age was unrelated to insomnia variables in all the cross-sectional models, but did emerge as a significant risk for cumulative 4-8-year insomnia incidence. These findings suggest that, independent of those activities more closely associated with social engagement, higher levels of customary physical activity per se appear to be protective against incident and chronic late-life insomnia.

Aged↗

Insomnia. Use of a 'decision tree' to assess and treat.

Insomnia, a remarkably common disturbance in a basic biologic function, arises from multiple psychological, physiologic, and environmental factors. Transient insomnia usually resolves spontaneously. Short-term insomnia is usually normalized by coping with acute changes in a medical condition or a relationship. In patients with insomnia caused by stressful life events, a short (ie, 10 days or less) course of a short- or intermediate-acting benzodiazepine hypnotic may be indicated. Long-term insomnia deserves comprehensive evaluation. Psychiatric disorders are common in patients with long-term insomnia. In patients over age 50, intrinsic sleep disorders are more prevalent. Behavioral therapy, including improved sleep hygiene, stimulus-control techniques, and sleep-restriction therapy, is preferred in the management of long-term insomnia. Pharmacotherapy (eg, low-dose antidepressant or benzodiazepine) is best used as an adjunct.

Decision Trees↗

Current patterns and future directions in the treatment of insomnia.

BACKGROUND: Despite the high prevalence and the high burden associated with chronic insomnia, it remains largely unrecognized and often inadequately treated by physicians. METHODS: A review was undertaken of the literature on barriers to both acute and chronic treatment of insomnia, as well as recent trials of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic agents for insomnia. RESULTS: Obstacles to appropriate treatment of the condition include outdated insomnia management guidelines, which have contributed to US Food and Drug Administration restrictions on longer-term prescription of hypnotic agents; lack of research demonstrating the benefit of treating insomnia; and fears of tolerance and withdrawal effects of long-term use of hypnotic agents, as well as an absence of longer-term, randomized, controlled, double-blind trials of existing agents used to treat insomnia. CONCLUSIONS: There is evidence that improved sleep may improve outcome in some medical and psychiatric illnesses. Both behavioral and pharmacologic therapies have shown efficacy in chronic insomnia. In addition, a recent 6-month, randomized, controlled study has demonstrated that at least one agent may be safe and effective in longer-term use.

Behavior Therapy↗

Non-pharmacological management of primary and secondary insomnia among older people: review of assessment tools and treatments.

BACKGROUND: primary and secondary insomnia, especially among older adults, is frequently encountered by family physicians. Pharmacological interventions, although effective in some circumstances, can be detrimental in others. Non-pharmacological management of insomnia may allow the patients to self-administer the treatment. OBJECTIVES: review of published literature of assessment tools and treatments for primary and secondary insomnia. RESULTS: two frequently used self-reporting methods for obtaining sleep data are sleep diaries and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index. A large amount of research supports the use of non-pharmacological treatments such as stimulus control, sleep restriction, sleep hygiene education, cognitive therapy, multi-component therapy and paradoxical intention. CONCLUSION: assessing the nature of insomnia by using an effective assessment tool and providing patients with a non-pharmacological treatment should be the first intervention for insomnia. It is shown that non-pharmacological treatments for primary and secondary insomnia are feasible and effective alternatives to the use of benzodiazepines, and that family physicians should consider these when managing older patients with insomnia.

Aged↗

Effects of chronic insomnia and use of benzodiazepines on daytime performance in older adults.

This study evaluated the impact of insomnia and chronic use of benzodiazepines on the cognitive and psychomotor performance of older adults. Three conditions, matched on age, gender, and education, were compared: 20 prolonged users of benzodiazepines for insomnia, 20 unmedicated insomniacs, and 20 good sleepers. The participants completed neuropsychological tests of memory, attention/concentration, psychomotor speed, and executive functions, as well as subjective evaluations of their actual performance. Individuals with insomnia, both medicated and unmedicated, performed worse than good sleepers on the attention/concentration factor. There was no other objective evidence of performance impairments. However, unmedicated insomniacs had lower performance expectancies and subjectively rated their performance more negatively relative to medicated insomniacs and good sleepers. Both insomnia conditions also rated their performance as lower compared with their perceived potential. It is suggested that the attention/concentration difficulties experienced by medicated and unmedicated older adults with insomnia may be linked to a state of hyperarousal. The discrepancies between subjective reports of daytime deficits and objective impairments may reflect a generalized faulty appraisal of sleep and daytime functioning among individuals with insomnia complaints. The implications of those findings for the assessment and treatment of late-life insomnia are discussed.

Adult↗

Insomnia in maintenance haemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Studies in the last 15 years have shown a high prevalence of sleep disorders in maintenance haemodialysis (HD) patients. METHODS: To investigate whether the new technical and therapeutic advances of the last decade have had a positive impact on sleep disturbances in HD patients: 694 patients (384 males, 310 females) were surveyed using a specific questionnaire; their clinical, lifestyle and dialysis data were also recorded. RESULTS: Forty-five per cent of patients (n=311; 156 males, 155 females) complained of insomnia, defined either by delayed sleep onset and/or night-time waking, and were included in the insomnia group; the remainder were used as controls (control group). There was a significantly higher risk of insomnia in patients with >12 months on dialysis, in patients dialysed in the morning (P<0.003), and in patients with higher parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels (P<0.05). Body mass index, body weight gain and blood pressure did not differ between the groups, and neither did the dialysis parameters. Creatinine and urea plasma levels were higher in the control group vs the insomnia group (P<0.001), but there was no difference in haemoglobin concentrations or use of erythropoietin, calcitriol and antihypertensive drugs. Cigarette smoking, caffeine or alcohol intake were comparable in the two groups. The most frequently recorded sleep disorders were night-time waking (92%), trouble falling asleep (67%) and early morning waking (62%). Restless leg symptoms were described in 52% of patients with insomnia. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of insomnia in HD patients is still very high; elderly patients, and those with longer time on dialysis and high levels of PTH are at major risk of insomnia, whereas type of dialysis, haemoglobin levels and behavioural factors do not seem to play a critical role in determining this sleep disorder.

Age Distribution↗

Nonpharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia. An American Academy of Sleep Medicine review.

This paper reviews the evidence regarding the efficacy of nonpharmacological treatments for primary chronic insomnia. It is based on a review of 48 clinical trials and two meta-analyses conducted by a task force appointed by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to develop practice parameters on non-drug therapies for the clinical management of insomnia. The findings indicate that nonpharmacological therapies produce reliable and durable changes in several sleep parameters of chronic insomnia sufferers. The data indicate that between 70% and 80% of patients treated with nonpharmacological interventions benefit from treatment. For the typical patient with persistent primary insomnia, treatment is likely to reduce the main target symptoms of sleep onset latency and/or wake time after sleep onset below or near the 30-min criterion initially used to define insomnia severity. Sleep duration is also increased by a modest 30 minutes and sleep quality and patient's satisfaction with sleep patterns are significantly enhanced. Sleep improvements achieved with these behavioral interventions are sustained for at least 6 months after treatment completion. However, there is no clear evidence that improved sleep leads to meaningful changes in daytime well-being or performance. Three treatments meet the American Psychological Association (APA) criteria for empirically-supported psychological treatments for insomnia: Stimulus control, progressive muscle relaxation, and paradoxical intention; and three additional treatments meet APA criteria for probably efficacious treatments: Sleep restriction, biofeedback, and multifaceted cognitive-behavior therapy. Additional outcome research is needed to examine the effectiveness of treatment when it is implemented in clinical settings (primary care, family practice), by non-sleep specialists, and with insomnia patients presenting medical or psychiatric comorbidity.

Biofeedback, Psychology↗

Prevalence of reported insomnia and its consequences in a survey of 5,044 adolescents in Kuwait.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To examine the psychometric characteristics of a short scale to assess insomnia complaints and their consequences, to estimate the prevalence rates of reported insomnia, and to explore the sex differences in reported insomnia. METHODS: 5,044 male and female nonclinical secondary-school students in the State of Kuwait participated. Their ages ranged from 14 to 19 years. An insomnia scale (IS) comprising 12 items was administered in group sessions. It has acceptable test-retest and alpha reliabilities and good convergent validity. Two factors were disclosed: consequence of insomnia and difficulty in initiating and maintaining sleep. Point prevalence rate was computed as the summation of the percentages of responses in the two options: "Much" and "Very much" on each item during the most recent month. RESULTS: The prevalence of the 12 IS items ranged from 6.4% to 31.7% in boys, and between 6.5% and 35.9% among girls. The highest reported insomnia complaint was early morning awakening, ie, 31.7% in boys, and 35.9% in girls. It was found that 14.6% of boys and 20.3% of girls reported difficulty initiating sleep, while 8.6% of boys and 15.7% of girls reported difficulty maintaining sleep. Girls had higher mean scores in most of the IS items. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents in the present sample have reported high rates of insomnia. There is a great need to agree upon the methodology, especially the assessment tool, for epidemiology of sleep disorder research.

Adolescent↗

Self-help treatment for insomnia: a randomized controlled trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Insomnia is a prevalent health complaint that often remains untreated. Several interventions are efficacious but they are not widely available. This study evaluated the efficacy of a self-help behavioral intervention for insomnia. DESIGN: The study used a 2 (conditions; self-help treatment, no treatment control) x 3 (assessments; pretreatment, posttreatment, 6-month follow-up) mixed factorial design. SETTING: This study was part of a larger epidemiologic study conducted with a randomly selected sample of 2001 adults of the province of Quebec in Canada. PARTICIPANTS: One-hundred ninety-two adults (n = 127 women, 65 men; mean age, 46 years) with insomnia, selected from a larger community-based epidemiologic sample, were randomly assigned to self-help treatment (n = 96) or no-treatment control (n = 96). INTERVENTIONS: The self-help intervention included 6 educational booklets mailed weekly to participants and providing information about insomnia, healthy sleep practices, and behavioral sleep scheduling and cognitive strategies. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Participants completed sleep diaries and questionnaires at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up. Significant but modest improvements were obtained on subjective sleep parameters for treatment but not control participants. Treated participants averaged nightly gains of 21 minutes of sleep and a reduction of 20 minutes of wakefulness, with a corresponding increase of 4% in sleep efficiency. Improvements were also obtained on measures of insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index) and of sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and those changes were maintained at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: A self-help behavioral intervention was effective in alleviating a broad range of insomnia symptomatology in a community sample. Self-help may be a promising approach to make effective intervention more widely available.

Adult↗

Impact of insomnia on individual health dissatisfaction in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the impact of insomnia on individual health dissatisfaction in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. DESIGN: Cross-sectional surveys with a face-to-face interview were conducted in Japan (n = 1414), South Korea (n = 1007), and Taiwan (n = 785). Participants completed a questionnaire on general health dissatisfaction and insomnia symptoms. Insomnia was defined as having at least one of three types of insomnia symptoms (i.e., difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, and early-morning awakening). Information on sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., sex, age, education level, and household income) was also collected. SETTING: N/A. PARTICIPANTS: A nationwide sample of subjects aged 20 years or older INTERVENTIONS: N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The age-adjusted prevalence of insomnia "lasting more than 2 weeks" was 4.0% in Japan, 9.9% in South Korea, and 10.3% in Taiwan. Insomnia was an independent contributor to health dissatisfaction after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics in the three countries, with odds ratios of 2.54 (95% CI, [1.51-4.28]) in Japan, 2.15 (95% CI [1.33-3.48]) in South Korea, and 2.31 (95%CI [1.37-3.89]) in Taiwan. A multivariate logistic analysis showed that the sociodemographic characteristics that significantly influenced health dissatisfaction varied among nations-including older age and low education level in Japan and female gender and middle-income level in South Korea. No independent variables were selected in Taiwan. CONCLUSION: Insomnia is closely linked to health dissatisfaction in the three Asian countries, with variation according to social and demographic factors.

Adult↗

Valerian-hops combination and diphenhydramine for treating insomnia: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.

CONTEXT: Insomnia is a prevalent health complaint associated with daytime impairments, reduced quality of life, and increased health-care costs. Although it is often self-treated with herbal and dietary supplements or with over-the-counter sleep aids, there is still little evidence on the efficacy and safety of those products. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a valerian-hops combination and diphenhydramine for the treatment of mild insomnia. DESIGN AND SETTING: Multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study conducted in 9 sleep disorders centers throughout the United States. PATIENTS: A total of 184 adults (110 women, 74 men; mean age of 44.3 years) with mild insomnia. INTERVENTIONS: (1) Two nightly tablets of standardized extracts of a valerian (187-mg native extracts; 5-8:1, methanol 45% m/m) and hops (41.9-mg native extracts; 7-10:1, methanol 45% m/m) combination for 28 days (n = 59), (2) placebo for 28 days (n = 65), or (3) 2 tablets of diphenhydramine (25 mg) for 14 days followed by placebo for 14 days (n = 60). OUTCOME MEASURES: Sleep parameters measured by daily diaries and polysomnography, clinical outcome ratings from patients and physicians, and quality of life measures. RESULTS: Modest improvements of subjective sleep parameters were obtained with both the valerian-hops combination and diphenhydramine, but few group comparisons with placebo reached statistical significance. Valerian produced slightly greater, though nonsignificant, reductions of sleep latency relative to placebo and diphenhydramine at the end of 14 days of treatment and greater reductions than placebo at the end of 28 days of treatment. Diphenhydramine produced significantly greater increases in sleep efficiency and a trend for increased total sleep time relative to placebo during the first 14 days of treatment. There was no significant group difference on any of the sleep continuity variables measured by polysomnography. In addition, there was no alteration of sleep stages 3-4 and rapid eye movement sleep with any of the treatments. Patients in the valerian and diphenhydramine groups rated their insomnia severity lower relative to placebo at the end of 14 days of treatment. Quality of life (Physical component) was significantly more improved in the valerian-hops group relative to the placebo group at the end of 28 days. There were no significant residual effects and no serious adverse events with either valerian or diphenhydramine and no rebound insomnia following their discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS: The findings show a modest hypnotic effect for a valerian-hops combination and diphenhydramine relative to placebo. Sleep improvements with a valerian-hops combination are associated with improved quality of life. Both treatments appear safe and did not produce rebound insomnia upon discontinuation during this study. Overall, these findings indicate that a valerian-hops combination and diphenhydramine might be useful adjuncts in the treatment of mild insomnia.

Adult↗

Insomnia screening in postacute traumatic brain injury: utility and validity of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

OBJECTIVE: To assess insomnia in a rehabilitation population, the authors examined the utility and validity of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The assessment of insomnia is relevant to the treatment of traumatic brain injury at the postacute level and routine screening for insomnia may be enhanced by the availability of a standardized, conveniently used, self-report sleep questionnaire. DESIGN: The authors prospectively studied 91 consecutive patients with traumatic brain injury who were admitted to an outpatient neurorehabilitation program. Besides administering the PSQI, Beck Depression Inventory, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Multidimensional Pain Inventory, sleep diary and interview data were obtained and used to divide subjects into insomnia and noninsomnia groups according to the criteria established by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, ed 4. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity rates to the clinical diagnosis of insomnia were 93% and 100%, respectively, for a PSQI Global Score of >8, and 83% and 100% for a diagnosis of insomnia based exclusively on PSQI-derived sleep variable data. Sleep diary data provided concurrent validity for PSQI estimates of sleep-onset latency, sleep duration, and sleep efficiency. The Beck Depression Inventory, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Multidimensional Pain Inventory established concurrent validity for individual PSQI items pertaining to mood, hypersomnia, and pain disturbance. CONCLUSION: The PSQI was demonstrated to be a valid and useful screening tool for assessing insomnia among postacute patients with traumatic brain injury.

Adolescent↗

Minimal rebound insomnia after treatment with 10-mg zolpidem.

This study examined rebound insomnia after discontinuation of chronic use of zolpidem (10 mg), a short elimination half-life imidazopyridine. The zolpidem group was bracketed by a placebo group and a positive control group taking 0.5 mg of triazolam (twice the recommended dose), which is known to produce rebound insomnia. Ninety-nine patients with sleep complaints that were polysomnographically documented participated in the study. After randomization, patients completed a 2-night, single-blind, placebo baseline period, a 28-night double-blind treatment phase, and a 3-night, single-blind, placebo substitution period. Polysomnographic and subjective sleep variables indicated a lack of rebound insomnia for the zolpidem group. The positive triazolam control group had rebound insomnia only on the first discontinuation night. There was no significant correlation between rebound insomnia and the level of initial insomnia, the degree of response to treatment in week 4, or the amount of tolerance that developed during drug use. During the 4-week treatment period, efficacy diminished for both drugs. From these data, it cannot be determined whether the lack of rebound insomnia with zolpidem is a result of drug dose or some property of the drug such as receptor selectivity.

Adult↗

Managing insomnia.

Sleep is a vital part of normal health and wellness for everyone. It is also an important factor in recovering from the physiological and emotional stress of any hospitalization or illness. Insomnia--the lack of adequate period of sleep--has a profound impact on society and public health in many ways. Chronic insomnia contributes to injury and illness and may have adverse effects on cognitive functioning, interpersonal relationships, concentration, the ability to handle stress, and productivity. Nurses who are knowledgeable about the possible causes of insomnia, the different types of insomnia, and various therapeutic interventions will be able to identify those who have insomnia or are at risk of insomnia and will be able to counsel these patients about healthy sleep habits and the safe use of pharmacotherapeutic therapies used to treat insomnia.

Behavior Therapy↗