title: How a general population perceives its sleep and how this relates to the complaint of insomnia.
abstract: The traditional indicators of insomnia (i.e. difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, nonrestorative sleep, early morning awakening) were assessed in a representative sample of 1,722 French-speaking Montrealers (Canada) aged 15 to 100 years. These subjects were interviewed over the telephone (81.3% of contacted sample) by means of the Sleep-Eval software. Subjects were classified as either satisfied or dissatisfied with quality of sleep (SQS or DQS), with or without insomnia indicators (+I or -I). Sociodemographics, sleep-wake schedules, evening activities, medication intake, recent medical consultations, and social life were also investigated. DQS subjects composed 17.8% of the population (DQS + I: 11.2%; DQS - I: 6.5%), and 21.7% of subjects were classified as either DQS + I or SQS + I. Overall, 3.8% of subjects reported using a sleep-enhancing medication. Nonrestorative sleep did not significantly distinguish SQS and DQS subjects. The complaint of nonrestorative sleep is not a useful indicator of insomnia, despite its inclusion in all medical classifications. DQS - I and SQS + I subjects defy traditional classifications. A better understanding of sleep complaints and more accurate classifications will help physicians identify patients with insomnia and meet their needs more appropriately.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche Philippe Pinel de Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ohayon
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caulet
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guilleminault
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012890:Sleep; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014851:Wakefulness
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives