Prevalence of self-reported insomnia in general population of Poland

Aim. The aim of this paper is to present the subjective insomnia prevalence. Assessment of sleep problems was a part of NATPOL study conducted to explore the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Methods. The study group consisted of 2,413 people (1,245 females and 1,168 males) aged 18-79 and it was representative for the Polish population. Questions concerning sleep were included in the questionnaire designed specifically for the NATPOL study, which assessed cardiovascular risk factors. The questionnaire was applied personally by trained nurses at place of residence of study subjects. Only results concerning sleep complaints are presented in this paper. Results. The prevalence of sleep complaints was 50.5% (58.9 % in women, 41.4% in men). Subjective insomnia was most prevalent in women aged 60-79 and it was reported by 74.8%. Difficulties in falling asleep were reported by 60.2%, difficulties in falling asleep by 45.5 % and early morning awakenings by 26.4% of respondents. Conclusions. Study results suggest that self-reported insomnia is a common problem in general population of Poland. The most common sleep problem is impaired sleep initiation. Insomnia complaints are most prevalent in women and in the older age groups.