title: Severe chronic insomnia is not associated with higher body mass index.
abstract: Short sleep duration is widely considered to be a risk factor for weight gain, suggesting that patients suffering from sleep disorders are a risk group. Despite some positive preliminary data on patients with organic sleep disorders, empirical evidence for an increased body mass index in patients with insomnia is scarce. Two-hundred and thirty-three patients with a confirmed diagnosis of severe and chronic insomnia without co-morbidity showing objectively impaired sleep quality were compared with respect to their body mass index with control data derived from a representative population survey matched in gender and age. As a result, patients with insomnia showed a lower body mass index (23.8 kg m(-2) versus 27.1 kg m(-2) ; P < 0.0005). Our findings suggest that patients with chronic insomnia do not exhibit overweight. These data are a valuable educational tool to calm patients' fears about the consequences of insomnia, and contribute to the understanding of chronically disturbed sleep and weight regulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Crönlein
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Berthold
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Langguth
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rupprecht
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Wetter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Regensburg Insomnia Scale; insomnia patients; obesity; sleep duration; survey