The most recent results from the America Insomnia Survey (AIS) support the idea that sleeplessness is negatively impacting the U.S. The importance of adequate sleep and time away from work has increasingly become the subject of public discussion in light of revisions to work policies affecting positions of high risk to public safety, such as physician trainees, commercial airline pilots, and commercial vehicle drivers. Given the scope of the impact of insomnia, it is not surprising that the disorder has been linked to problems in the workplace. In fact, a recently published study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Bernert, Turvey, Conwell, & Joiner, 2014) found that older adults (age 66 to 90 years) who reported poor sleep, including difficulty falling asleep and experiencing non-restorative sleep, had a 1.4-times greater risk of dying by suicide over the 10-year period in which the study was conducted. “It is also a risk factor for the onset of common mental disorders, such as depression and substance use disorders.”
![insomnia hours insomnia hours](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0wtX8LD3kS8/maxresdefault.jpg)
Further, irritability and other issues of mood regulation difficulties interacting and maintaining relationships with others and carbohydrate craving with weight gain can occur,” says Dr. “Insomnia disorder results in unmet sleep need, causing daytime problems, such as needing more time to process and react to information and having difficulty with complex thinking tasks, like problem solving. Reynolds III, MD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center endowed professor in geriatric psychiatry and chair of the DSM-5 work group that helped developed the latest insomnia disorder criteria, notes that the effects of the disorder are far-reaching in terms of its symptoms and impact throughout the body. Symptoms must be experienced for at least three nights per week for at least three months, despite having adequate opportunities for sleep.Ĭharles F.
Insomnia hours manual#
The criteria are listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), the handbook that psychiatrists, other physicians, and mental health professionals use to guide diagnosis of a mental disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). While many individuals may use the term insomnia to describe the experience of insufficient sleep, insomnia disorder is a mental disorder that can only be diagnosed when specific criteria are met.
![insomnia hours insomnia hours](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/MWaLcrn3k7Y/hqdefault.jpg)
adults (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). Insomnia disorder is one of the most common sleep disturbances, occurring in approximately one in three working U.S.
![insomnia hours insomnia hours](https://www.pilothouseriverdale.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/1658526218864.christina_branco_7P_wc2Z2Ujs_unsplash_1_.jpg)
Sleep disturbances also contribute significantly to motor vehicle accidents, workplace errors and accidents, and reduced productivity due to absenteeism and work impairment (Swanson et al., 2011). The term “sleep disorder” is wide ranging and can describe numerous types of sleep difficulties, including short sleep duration, unsatisfactory sleep quality despite having adequate duration (often termed non-restorative sleep), breathing-related sleep disruptions (e.g., snoring, sleep apnea), nightmares or night terrors, and problematic sleep behaviors (e.g., restless legs syndrome, sleepwalking).ĭespite differences in their symptoms and causes, sleep disorders as a whole are associated with a host of negative outcomes, such as an increased risk of certain medical diseases (e.g., cancer, hypertension, obesity) and mental disorders (particularly depression) higher mortality increased suicidal thoughts and behaviors and poorer quality of life. Insufficient sleep is considered a major public health concern and one that affects as many as 50 to 70 million Americans (Colton et al., 2006). With as many as one-fifth of working Americans reportedly experiencing insomnia over the past year, sleeplessness is clearly a major public health issue with implications that extend beyond the bedroom. Research suggests that insomnia costs employers more than $90 billion annually in reduced productivity and workplace accidents and errors.