Self-reported sleep complaints with long and short sleep: a nationally representative sample.
OBJECTIVE
Although the problems associated with insufficient sleep have been thoroughly researched, there has been far less substantiation of problems associated with long sleep. Recent evidence shows that habitual sleep duration greater than 7 hours is associated with increased rates of mortality. This study compared the rates of sleep problems in both long and short sleepers.


METHODS
Self-reported sleep complaints (eg, sleep onset latency, awakenings during the night, early morning awakenings, nonrestorative sleep, and daytime sleepiness) of nearly 1000 adults who participated in the National Sleep Foundation's 2001 Sleep in America Poll, were compared with reported hours of weekday sleep.


RESULTS
There are U-shaped relationships of sleep complaints with reported weekday total sleep time. More specifically, 8-hour sleepers reported less frequent symptoms than long sleepers or 7-hour sleepers.


CONCLUSIONS
Thus, long sleepers, as well as short sleepers, report sleep problems, focusing attention to the often-overlooked problems of the long sleeper.
Grandner
Michael A
MA
San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, California 92093-0667, USA. MGrandner@UCSD.edu
Kripke
Daniel F
DF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D020920:Dyssomnias / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards; D020178:Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires