Insomnia Linked With Higher Mortality Rate in Men

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder and has been associated with higher risk factor of developing depression, anxiety, and suicide. The researchers at Pennsylvania State University wanted to see if there was an association with decreased life span. After studying over 1,700 patients for more than ten years, it was found that people with long-term insomnia face a higher mortality rate, 21% with men and 5% for women. This showed, for the first time, men had an increased mortality as a result of insomnia. Insomnia is a sleep disorder that makes it difficult to fall asleep and/or stay asleep. People tend to not feel refreshed after they wake up, either because they got poor quality sleep or not enough sleep. Participants in the study had experienced acute insomnia for more than one year, which left them feeling sleepy throughout the day or without enough energy to get through the day. The study had two groups, the normal sleepers who slept more than 6 hours per night and the short sleep group who slept less than 6 hours per night.

The researchers stated, “Insomnia with short sleep duration in men is associated with a significant risk for death, in a degree comparable to the other most common sleep disorder, sleep disordered breathing.” There was no explanation for the significant numbers of male deaths when females did not have significant numbers in comparison. The increased risk was independent of “comorbid conditions frequently associated with mortality, such as age, race, obesity, alcohol consumption, smoking, sleep disordered breathing, or depression.” This means that insomnia was a determining factor in the death of study participants. There is opportunity to study more about insomnia and preventing long-term health conditions as well as death.

Sleep doctors can diagnose insomnia for both male and female patients and find an appropriate treatment for any patient. The Penn State researchers say “appropriate treatment should become the target of public health policy.” There are both medical and nonmedical approaches to treating insomnia. In addition, there are recommended sleep hygiene habits which can greatly improve quality of sleep. Behavioral techniques combined with medical treatment can completely eliminate acute insomnia.

If you believe you suffer from insomnia and want to get results, contact FusionSleep to schedule a consultation today. Our team is qualified to diagnose and treat the entire range of sleep disorders that affect our patients.