Daytime sleepiness in an adult, Finnish population.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of and the factors associated with daytime sleepiness occurring every or almost every day.


METHODS
A cross-sectional, questionnaire survey.


METHODS
A total of 11,354 adults (aged 33-60 years) representative of the Finnish population.


METHODS
Frequency of daytime sleepiness, naps and sleep attacks; occurrence of emotion-associated muscle weakness, sleep debt, insomnia, sleep apnoeas and type of snoring; Beck Depression Inventory score; and the use of hypnotics and tranquillisers.


RESULTS
A total of 11.0% of women and 6.7% of men suffered from daytime sleepiness every or almost every day. Amongst those with sleepiness (n = 1,026) 19.5% of women and 42.3% of men reported snoring > or = 3 nights per week, 25% had scores suggesting moderate to severe depression, 11% used hypnotics or tranquilizers on more than 180 days per year, and 9% reported insufficient sleep. Insomnia at least every other day was reported by 20.7% of women and by 28.6% of men. Amongst those with sleepiness, narcolepsy was found in 0.3%, with the diagnosis confirmed in a sleep laboratory evaluation.


CONCLUSIONS
Daytime sleepiness occurring daily or almost daily is most often associated with depression, insomnia and sleep-disordered breathing. In most cases, indications of the cause of sleepiness can be obtained by using simple screening questions.
Hublin
C
C
Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Kaprio
J
J
Partinen
M
M
Heikkilä
K
K
Koskenvuo
M
M
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000150:complications; D012913:Snoring / Q000150:complications