Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-rkxrd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-18T09:15:07.019Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Characteristics of sleep disturbances in Poland – results of the National Health Interview Survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 June 2014

Andrzej Kiejna
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Medical University, Wroclaw
Joanna Rymaszewska*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Medical University, Wroclaw
Bogdan Wojtyniak
Affiliation:
National Institute of Hygiene, Warsaw, Poland
Jakub Stokwiszewski
Affiliation:
National Institute of Hygiene, Warsaw, Poland
*
Dr Joanna Rymaszewska MD PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Postgraduate Medical Training, Wroclaw Medical University, Pasteura 10, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland. Tel: + 48-71-784 15 65; Fax: + 48-71-784 15 71. E-mail: ankarym@psych.am.wroc.pl

Abstract

Background:

Apart from insomnia, poor quality of sleep, decreased sleep duration, tiredness after awakening and frequency of using sleeping drugs are important indicators of sleep problems.

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of indicators of sleep disturbance, such as quality of sleep, sleep duration, feeling of restfulness in the morning and drug utilization in a randomly selected Polish adult population.

Methods:

A stratified scheme of sampling involving two steps was used. A representative Polish population sample of 47 924 non-institutionalized adults was interviewed. Assessments of sleep-related problems were based on six questions. Standardized prevalence ratios (SPRs and their 95% confidence intervals) were calculated.

Results:

Almost one-tenth of Polish inhabitants usually slept badly or very badly, a problem that was more common among women than men. Quality of sleep decreased together with ageing and this process was more rapid in women than in men over 40 years of age. Highly educated respondents had the highest quality of sleep. Up to one-fifth of the general Polish population usually woke up tired in the morning. Mean sleep duration was 7.7 h, with no gender differences. Usage of over-the-counter (OTC) medications was significantly lower than usage of those prescribed by the physician (5 vs. 16%). Women used OTC drugs twice as often as men.

Conclusions:

It would appear to be necessary to introduce educational programmes for the community as well as for general practitioners in order to correct improper attitudes.

Type
Original Article
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 Blackwell Munksgaard

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ford, DE, Kamerow, DB. Epidemiologic study of sleep disturbances and psychiatric disorders. An opportunity for prevention? J Am Med Assoc 1989;262: 14791484. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mellinger, GD, Balter, MB, Uhlenhuth, Eh. Insomnia and its treatment. Arch General Psychiatry 1985;42: 225232. CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cirignotta, F, Mondini, S, Zucconi, M, Lenzi, PL, Lugaresi, E. Insomnia: an epidemiological survey. Clin Neuropharmacol 1985;8(Suppl. 1):S49S54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hublin, C, Kaprio, J, Partinen, M, Heikkila, K, Koskenvuo, M. Daytime sleepiness in an adult, Finnish population. J Intern Med 1996;239: 417423.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Husby, R, Lingjaerde, O. Prevalence of reported sleeplessness in northern Norway in relation to sex, age and season. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1990;81: 542547.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Klink, ME, Quan, SF, Kaltenborn, WT, Lebowitz, MD. Risk factors associated with complaints of insomnia in a general adult population. Influence of previous complaints of insomnia. Arch Intern Med 1992;152: 16341637.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, X, Uchiyama, M, Kim, Ket al. Sleep loss and daytime sleepiness in the general adult population of Japan. Psychiatry Res 2000;93: 111.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weyerer, S, Dilling, H. Prevalence and treatment of insomnia in the community: results from the upper Bavarian field study. Sleep 1991;14: 392398.Google ScholarPubMed
Szelenberger, W, Skalski, M. Epidemiology of sleeping disturbances in Poland – preliminary report. In: Nowicki, Z, Szelenberger, W, eds. Sleep Disturbances, Diagnostics and Therapy. Kraków: Biblioteka Psychiatrii Polskiej, 1999: 5763. Google Scholar
Ancoli-Israel, S, Roth, T. Characteristics of Insomnia in the United States: results of the 1991 National Foundation Survey. I. Sleep 1999;22(Suppl. 2):S347S353.Google ScholarPubMed
Haldemann, R, Good, M, Holsboer-Trachsler, E. Epidemiological study of sleep disorders in patients in Swiss general practice. Schweiz Rundsch Med Prax 1996;85: 16561662.Google ScholarPubMed
Kiejna, A, Wojtyniak, B, Rymaszewska, J, Stokwiszewski, J. Prevalence of insomnia in Poland – results of the National Health Interview Survey. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2003;15: 6873. CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ohayon, MM, Caulet, M, Priest, RG, Guilleminault, C. DSM-IV and ICSD-90 insomnia symptoms and sleep dissatisfaction. Br J Psychiatry 1997;171: 382388.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Karacan, I, Thornby, JI, Anch, Met al. Prevalence of sleep disturbance in a primarily urban Florida county. Soc Sci Med 1976;10: 239244.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ohayon, M. Epidemiological study on insomnia in the general population. Sleep 1996;19(3Suppl.):S7S15.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Foley, DJ, Monjan, A, Simonsick, EM, Wallace, RB, Blazer, DG. Incidence and remission of insomnia among elderly adults. an epidemiologic study of 6,800 persons over three years. Sleep 1999;22(Suppl. 2): S366S372.Google ScholarPubMed
McGhie, A, Russel, SM. The subjective assessment of normal sleep patterns. J Ment Sci 1962;108: 642654. Google Scholar
Borbely, A. Schlafgewohnheiten, Schlafqualität und Schlafmittelkonsum der Schweizer Bevölkerung: Ergebnisse einer Repräsentativumfrage. Schweizerische Ärztezeitung 1984;34: 16061613. Google Scholar
Lugaresi, E, Cirignotta, F, Zucconi, M, Mondini, S, Lenzi, PL, Coccagna, G. Good and poor sleepers: an epidemiological survey of the San Marino population. In: Guilleminault, C, Lugaresi, E, eds. Sleep/Wake Disorders: Natural History, Epidemiology and Long-Term Evolution. New York: Raven Press, 1983: 112. Google Scholar
Partinen, M, Kaprio, J, Koskenvuo, M, Langinvainio, H. Sleeping habits, sleep quality, and use of sleeping pills. a population study of 31 140 adults in Finland. In: Guilleminault, C, Lugaresi, E, eds. Sleep/Wake Disorders: Natural History, Epidemiology and Long-Term Evolution. New York: Raven Press, 1983: 2935. Google Scholar