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Sleep Forum Warns of Epidemic on First Insomnia
Awareness Day
National Sleep Foundation releases 2005 Sleep America
Poll
 March
30, 2005 – The first Insomnia Awareness Day was greeted today by an
alarm from the Save Our Sleep (S.O.S.) Forum of epidemic levels of
insomnia in America and the health repercussions that can stem from it.
The Forum urges the public to “wake up” to the potentially devastating
consequences of this untreated sleep problem.
The latest Sleep America Poll by the National Sleep
Foundation shows that the percentage of adult Americans experiencing
sleep problems has risen from 62 percent in 2000 to 75 percent in 2004.
(See graph above. For results by age group at bottom of this page -
click here)
Representatives from leading health organizations
joined the “Call to Action” to urge Americans to “wake up” to the
epidemic of undiagnosed and untreated insomnia. The group, which
recently convened at a “Save Our Sleep” (S.O.S.) Forum held by the
National Sleep Foundation (NSF), expressed alarm that despite its impact
on overall mental and physical health, sleep is not considered a “vital
sign” of good health in America.
The Forum’s “Call to Action” is being issued on
Insomnia Awareness Day, as part of NSF’s annual National Sleep Awareness
Week® campaign taking place this week (March 28-April 3).
“People think that insomnia is a nuisance rather
than a serious health problem,” said Amy Niles, President and Chief
Executive Officer of the National Women’s Health Resource Center, a
non-profit organization dedicated to helping women make informed
decisions about their health.
“As a result of a poor night’s sleep, many people
go through their days suffering the effects of fatigue and unable to
focus on the tasks at hand. If they continue to ignore their sleeping
problem, quality of life can suffer and serious health problems may
arise. There is an urgent need to improve communication about sleep
quality and quantity between the healthcare community and the public,”
she said.”
Forum participants discussed their practical
experiences and those of their constituents, as well as key clinical
findings about sleep and insomnia.
They also reviewed data from NSF’s 2005 “Sleep in
America” poll. The poll results, released yesterday, show Americans are
experiencing a “great divide” when it comes to healthy sleep, with half
of respondents reporting they sleep well and the other half experiencing
problems sleeping.
This information, coupled with data from recent
studies associating lack of sleep with serious health problems such as
an increased risk of depression, obesity, cardiovascular disease and
diabetes, prompted the S.O.S. Forum’s statement. Part of this statement
calls for the public to become proactive about addressing their sleep
during visits to their healthcare providers.
The statement also suggests keeping a sleep diary
or using an insomnia assessment tool to track their sleep habits and
help diagnosis of a sleep problem.
“While trouble sleeping is not what usually sends
patients to their doctor or healthcare professional, it is one of the
most frequent complaints patients have when asked about it,” said
Russell Rosenberg, Ph.D., Director of both the Northside Hospital Sleep
Medicine Institute in Atlanta, GA, and the Atlanta School of Sleep
Medicine. “Insomnia is a serious, but very treatable condition, and
appears to be reaching epidemic proportions. We encourage patients to
proactively address sleep with their healthcare providers and use
behavioral, environmental and pharmaceutical treatment options to
improve their sleep habits.”
Chaired by NSF, the S.O.S. Forum members include
representatives from leading health organizations that represent the
constituencies for which insomnia is a common concern. Among them are
healthcare providers who often treat sleep disorders, and groups whose
patient populations frequently suffer from the symptoms of insomnia,
such as women and aging adults. Members include representatives from the
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), American Medical Women’s
Association (AMWA), National Women’s Health Resource Center (NWHRC),
National Mental Health Association (NMHA), PRIME PLUS/Red Hot Mamas® and
Dr. Rosenberg.
“Insomnia is a condition that is under-recognized,
under-diagnosed, and as a result, under-treated,” said Richard L. Gelula,
NSF’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our new ‘Sleep in America’ poll shows
that more than one-half of respondents experienced a symptom of insomnia
such as trouble falling asleep, waking during the night or waking up
feeling unrefreshed.”
About Insomnia
Insomnia is a sleep problem that is defined as
inadequate or poor-quality sleep due to difficulty falling asleep,
difficulty staying asleep, waking up too early and not being able to get
back to sleep and/or waking up feeling unrefreshed. According to NSF
poll data, insomnia is the most common of all sleep problems and affects
approximately 58 percent (about 126 million) of American adults.
These data also show that while insomnia affects
people of nearly every demographic, it is especially prevalent among
elderly adults; sixty-seven percent of older adults (age 65 and older)
report that they have trouble sleeping at least a few nights a week.
Women, who experience higher rates of anxiety and depression and
hormonal fluctuations associated with menstruation, pregnancy and
menopause, are also more likely to suffer from insomnia than men,
according to the National Institutes of Health.
About the National Sleep Foundation
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) is an
independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public health
and safety by achieving understanding of sleep and sleep disorders, and
by supporting education, sleep-related research, and advocacy. To learn
more about insomnia and other sleep issues, and for state-of-the-art
assessment tools and interactive quizzes, visit NSF’s newly redesigned
Web site: http://www.sleepfoundation.org/.
S.O.S. Forum Members:
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP),
American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), National Mental Health
Association (NMHA), National Sleep Foundation (NSF), National Women’s
Health Resource Center (NWHRC), PRIME PLUS/Red Hot Mamas® Menopause
Management Education Program, Russell Rosenberg, Ph.D., Director of
both the Northside Hospital Sleep Medicine Institute in Atlanta, GA, and
the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine.
Sleep assessment scales and healthy sleep ‘tips’
(such as synchronizing sleep/wake times) are available from the National
Sleep Foundation (www.sleepfoundation.org)
to help identify a range of possible causes of insomnia while defining
good sleep hygiene for patients.
The S.O.S. Forum was made possible by an
unrestricted educational grant from Sepracor Inc., manufacturers of the
latest insomnia drug, Lenesta.
2005 Sleep In America Results by Age
For the complete poll -
2005 Sleep in America Poll (pdf)
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