Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders: Ancoli-Israel S

Ancoli-Israel S, Vitiello MV. · No affiliation provided · Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. · Pubmed #16473972 No free full text.

This publication has no abstract.

Ancoli-Israel S, Ayalon L, Salzman C. · Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0603, USA. · Harv Rev Psychiatry. · Pubmed #18803103 No free full text.

Abstract: The most common complaints of older adults concern their difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, which results in insufficient sleep and an increased risk of falls, difficulty with concentration and memory, and overall decreased quality of life. Difficulties sleeping are not, however, an inevitable part of aging. Rather, the sleep complaints are often comorbid with medical and psychiatric illness, associated with the medications used to treat those illnesses, or the result of circadian rhythm changes or other sleep disorders. Health care professionals specializing in geriatrics need to learn to recognize the different causes of sleep disturbances in this population and to initiate appropriate treatment. Nonpharmacological treatment techniques are discussed; pharmacological treatments are discussed in a companion article.

Ancoli-Israel S, Martin JL. · University of California San Diego, USA. · J Clin Sleep Med. · Pubmed #17561549 No free full text.

Abstract: Insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and napping are all highly prevalent among the elderly, reflecting changes in sleep architecture, sleep efficiency, sleep quality, and circadian sleep-wake cycles. Insomnia is sometimes associated with subjective daytime sleepiness, as well as other clinical and socioeconomic consequences. The daytime sleepiness will at times lead to napping. Although napping is viewed as a common age-related occurrence, little is known about its benefits or consequences. Factors reported to be contributors to daytime napping include sleep-maintenance difficulty and sleep fragmentation with consequent daytime sleepiness, nighttime use of long-acting sedating agents, daytime use of sedating medications, and dementia. However, a correlation between sleep disturbance and daytime napping has not been consistently observed. Whether napping is beneficial, neutral, or detrimental is an important issue, in light of conflicting findings regarding the impact of daytime napping on nighttime sleep and recent reports of an association between napping and adverse clinical outcomes, including increased mortality risk. Further research is needed to determine whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship between napping and insomnia, and between napping and adverse clinical outcomes, and to explore the clinical implications of improving insomnia and reducing daytime napping. Clinical evaluations of hypnotic agents should assess efficacy for both improving insomnia symptoms (particularly sleep-maintenance difficulty, in the case of elderly patients) and reducing daytime sleepiness that would lead to inadvertent napping.

Lankford A, Ancoli-Israel S. · Sleep Disorders Center of Georgia, Atlanta, GA, USA. · Int J Clin Pract. · Pubmed #17386060 No free full text.

Abstract: Indiplon is a novel non-benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotic that modulates the GABAA receptor complex. It appears to be more selective for the alpha1-receptor subunit, associated with sedation, than other hypnotics. Two different formulations of indiplon have been developed: an immediate release (IR) version targeting sleep onset insomnia and a modified release (MR) version addressing sleep maintenance insomnia. Early results from clinical trials indicate that both formulations are well tolerated and effective at improving both objective and subjective measures of sleep. As of May 2006 indiplon-IR has been provisionally approved for use in the US market and discussions are continuing with the FDA regarding the MR formulation.

Cooke JR, Ancoli-Israel S. · Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA 92093-0603, USA. · Psychiatr Clin North Am. · Pubmed #17118283 No free full text.

Abstract: For many older adults, aging is associated with significant changes in sleep. There are a variety of potential causes, including primary sleep disorders, circadian rhythm disturbances, insomnia, depression, medical illness, and medications. As with younger adults, the diagnosis requires a thorough sleep history and an overnight sleep recording when appropriate. Treatment should address the primary sleep problem and can result in significant improvement in quality of life and daytime functioning in older adults.

Buysse DJ, Ancoli-Israel S, Edinger JD, Lichstein KL, Morin CM. · Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, USA. · Sleep. · Pubmed #17040003 No free full text.

Abstract: STUDY OBJECTIVES: To present expert consensus recommendations for a standard set of research assessments in insomnia, reporting standards for these assessments, and recommendations for future research. PARTICIPANTS: N/A. INTERVENTIONS: N/A. METHODS AND RESULTS: An expert panel of 25 researchers reviewed the available literature on insomnia research assessments. Preliminary recommendations were reviewed and discussed at a meeting on March 10-11, 2005. These recommendations were further refined during writing of the current paper. The resulting key recommendations for standard research assessment of insomnia disorders include definitions/diagnosis of insomnia and comorbid conditions; measures of sleep and insomnia, including qualitative insomnia measures, diary, polysomnography, and actigraphy; and measures of the waking correlates and consequences of insomnia disorders, such as fatigue, sleepiness, mood, performance, and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Adoption of a standard research assessment of insomnia disorders will facilitate comparisons among different studies and advance the state of knowledge. These recommendations are not intended to be static but must be periodically revised to accommodate further developments and evidence in the field.

Fiorentino L, Ancoli-Israel S. · SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, VASDHS, San Diego, CA 92161, USA. · Sleep Med Rev. · Pubmed #16963293 No free full text.

Abstract: Insomnia is a common complaint in breast cancer patients and has been shown to have a host of psychological and medical correlates and consequences. Typically insomnia is treated pharmacologically, however more recent findings from randomized controlled clinical trials support the use of cognitive behavioral therapies. The aim of this article is to review the empirically supported breast cancer literature on insomnia, briefly present and explain the insomnia treatment options available, and extrapolate research guidelines for future directions in this growing field. Behavioral therapeutic approaches for insomnia seem particularly suitable to use in the breast cancer populations because they have lower risk of interacting with the cancer treatment, do not burden the patients with additional pharmacological treatments, and can target the treatment towards ameliorating specific symptoms, like fatigue, that are characteristic in this population. However, there is a need for replication of efficacy studies of cognitive behavioral treatments for insomnia in breast cancer, as well as studies investigating vulnerability, risk and protective factors that might ultimately lead to insomnia prevention programs for use in this population.

Ancoli-Israel S, Ayalon L. · Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, and the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, USA. · Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. · Pubmed #16473973 No free full text.

Abstract: Among the most common complaints of older adults are difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep. These problems result in insufficient sleep at night, which then results in an increased risk of falls, difficulty with concentration and memory, and overall decreased quality of life. Difficulties sleeping, however, are not an inevitable part of aging. Rather, these sleep complaints are often secondary to medical and psychiatric illness, the medications used to treat these illnesses, circadian rhythm changes, or other sleep disorders. The task for the geriatric psychiatrist is to identify the causes of these complaints and then initiate appropriate treatment.

Ancoli-Israel S, Cooke JR. · Department of Psychiatry, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California 92161, USA. · J Am Geriatr Soc. · Pubmed #15982375 No free full text.

Abstract: A good night's sleep is often more elusive as we age, because the prevalence of insomnia in older people is high. Insufficient sleep can have important effects on daytime function by increasing the need to nap, reducing cognitive ability including attention and memory, slowing response time, adversely affecting relationships with friends and family, and contributing to a general sense of being unwell. However, rather than aging per se, circadian rhythm shifts, primary sleep disorders, comorbid medical/psychiatric illnesses, and medication use cause sleep difficulties in older people, which psychosocial factors may also affect. Clinicians should ask elderly patients about satisfaction with sleep. Any sleep complaints warrant careful evaluation of contributing factors and appropriate treatment.

Benca RM, Ancoli-Israel S, Moldofsky H. · University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. · J Clin Psychiatry. · Pubmed #15153065 No free full text.

Abstract: Patients with insomnia who also have chronic pain or depression or who are elderly represent segments of the population that are particularly difficult to treat. These populations tend to be at higher risk for experiencing difficulty sleeping and are more likely to experience chronic insomnia, sleep maintenance problems, and/or nonrestorative sleep. Worsening insomnia may exacerbate other somatic and psychological symptoms and vice versa. Conversely, there is evidence that appropriate recognition and management of the sleep complaint may alleviate other symptoms related to the associated condition and help interrupt this vicious cycle.

Ancoli-Israel S, Cole R, Alessi C, Chambers M, Moorcroft W, Pollak CP. · Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, 92161, USA. · Sleep. · Pubmed #12749557 No free full text.

Abstract: In summary, although actigraphy is not as accurate as PSG for determining some sleep measurements, studies are in general agreement that actigraphy, with its ability to record continuously for long time periods, is more reliable than sleep logs which rely on the patients' recall of how many times they woke up or how long they slept during the night and is more reliable than observations which only capture short time periods. Actigraphy can provide information obtainable in no other practical way. It can also have a role in the medical care of patients with sleep disorders. However, it should not be held to the same expectations as polysomnography. Actigraphy is one-dimensional, whereas polysomnography comprises at least 3 distinct types of data (EEG, EOG, EMG), which jointly determine whether a person is asleep or awake. It is therefore doubtful whether actigraphic data will ever be informationally equivalent to the PSG, although progress on hardware and data processing software is continuously being made. Although the 1995 practice parameters paper determined that actigraphy was not appropriate for the diagnosis of sleep disorders, more recent studies suggest that for some disorders, actigraphy may be more practical than PSG. While actigraphy is still not appropriate for the diagnosis of sleep disordered breathing or of periodic limb movements in sleep, it is highly appropriate for examining the sleep variability (i.e., night-to-night variability) in patients with insomnia. Actigraphy is also appropriate for the assessment of and stability of treatment effects of anything from hypnotic drugs to light treatment to CPAP, particularly if assessments are done before and after the start of treatment. A recent independent review of the actigraphy literature by Sadeh and Acebo reached many of these same conclusions. Some of the research studies failed to find relationships between sleep measures and health-related symptoms. The interpretation of these data is also not clear-cut. Is it that the actigraph is not reliable enough to the access the relationship between sleep changes and quality of life measures, or, is it that, in fact, there is no relationship between sleep in that population and quality of life measures? Other studies of sleep disordered breathing, where actigraphy was not used and was not an outcome measure also failed to find any relationship with quality of life. Is it then the actigraph that is not reliable or that the associations just do not exist? The one area where actigraphy can be used for clinical diagnosis is in the evaluation of circadian rhythm disorders. Actigraphy has been shown to be very good for identifying rhythms. Results of actigraphic recordings correlate well with measurements of melatonin and of core body temperature rhythms. Activity records also show sleep disturbance when sleep is attempted at an unfavorable phase of the circadian cycle. Actigraphy therefore would be particularly good for aiding in the diagnosis of delayed or advanced sleep phase syndrome, non-24-hour-sleep syndrome and in the evaluation of sleep disturbances in shift workers. It must be remembered, however, that overt rest-activity rhythms are susceptible to various masking effects, so they may not always show the underlying rhythm of the endogenous circadian pacemaker. In conclusion, the latest set of research articles suggest that in the clinical setting, actigraphy is reliable for evaluating sleep patterns in patients with insomnia, for studying the effect of treatments designed to improve sleep, in the diagnosis of circadian rhythm disorders (including shift work), and in evaluating sleep in individuals who are less likely to tolerate PSG, such as infants and demented elderly. While actigraphy has been used in research studies for many years, up to now, methodological issues had not been systematically addressed in clinical research and practice. Those issues have now been addressed and actigraphy may now be reaching the maturity needed for application in the clinical arena.

Martin JL, Ancoli-Israel S. · San Diego State University/University of California, Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, USA. · Sleep Med Rev. · Pubmed #12531128 No free full text.

Abstract: A number of non-pharmacologic interventions have been developed and studied for the treatment of primary insomnia in adults. Fifty-four non-pharmacological intervention studies published over the last 20 years were reviewed to determine how primary insomnia was assessed and to characterize patients participating in the studies. The main objectives were to inform clinicians who look to the literature for information on the treatment of insomnia about selection and diagnosis of participants, and to examine differences between clinic-based and research-based studies. Mean age for all patients was 47 years; 65% were women. Studies typically used interview procedures to assess participants. The most common exclusion criteria overall was insomnia secondary to medical illness or psychiatric disorder. Methods for assessing these criteria varied widely across studies. Inclusion most commonly required a 6-month duration of insomnia, and sleep difficulty at least 3 nights per week. There were significant differences between clinic- and research-based studies in the screening assessments, exclusion criteria, and participant drop-out rate. The heterogeneity in assessment and diagnosis complicates comparison across studies. Some studies were more likely to include severe insomnia sufferers and/or individuals with secondary insomnia. Comprehensive assessment and complete reporting of research methods is essential to determining the relative efficacy and clinical utility of interventions. Clinicians should be aware of the differences across studies from research vs. clinical settings. To enhance the generalizability of research-based studies to clinical practice, careful screening and description of study participants is essential. When participants are well-described, research-based studies can be useful and informative to clinicians.

Ancoli-Israel S. · University of California, San Diego, Department of Psychiatry, VASDHS, 92161, USA. · Sleep. · Pubmed #10755805 No free full text.

Abstract: The elderly are known to have a high prevalence of insomnia. Causes of insomnia include: medical, psychiatric, and drug issues; circadian rhythm changes; sleep disorders; and psychosocial factors. The elderly frequently use sleeping aids. Risks associated with elderly patients' use of hypnotic drugs are attributable to concomitant comorbid conditions, use of multiple medications, altered pharmacokinetics, and increased central nervous system sensitivity to these drugs. Treatment options for insomnia include behavior modification and pharmacotherapy. The choice of hypnotics is based on matching the nature of the insomnia to the hypnotic agent. Benzodiazepine receptor agonists are common hypnotics prescribed for insomnia in the elderly. The ideal agent has rapid onset, duration of action that lasts through the night but no residual daytime effects, and no adverse effects. The longer-acting agents have been shown to result in a higher risk of falls and hip fractures in the elderly. This relationship is not apparent with short-acting agents. Zaleplon, the newest benzodiazepine receptor agonist, has the shortest half-life of available agents. Studies have demonstrated that zaleplon is effective in improving sleep latency, duration, and sleep quality in the elderly. Zaleplon does not appear to cause rebound insomnia, residual sedation, or adversely affect psychomotor function. The key for the healthcare professional is finding the appropriate treatment or treatment combination, including behavioral modification and pharmacotherapy. When hypnotics are indicated, the most appropriate short-acting agent should be considered.

Ancoli-Israel S, Richardson GS, Mangano RM, Jenkins L, Hall P, Jones WS. · Department of Psychiatry 116A, University of California San Diego and Veterans Affairs, San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr., San Diego, CA 92161, USA. · Sleep Med. · Pubmed #15716214 No free full text.

Abstract: BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Insomnia is a common problem that increases with age and can last months to years. While substantial data establish the efficacy and safety of short-acting hypnotic therapy for the management of short-term insomnia using benzodiazepines receptor agonists (BzRAs), there are few studies on the continued efficacy and safety of these drugs when used for sustained periods. This paper reports the results of a 1-year open-label extension phases of two randomized, double-blind trials of zaleplon. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the open-label phase, older patients self-administered zaleplon nightly from 6 to 12 months and were then followed through a 7-day single-blind placebo-controlled run-out period. RESULTS: The safety profile in this population of older adults was similar to that observed in a short-term trial of an equivalent population. The data also suggested that long-term therapy produced and maintained statistically significant improvement in time to persistent sleep onset, duration of sleep and number of nocturnal awakenings (P<0.001 for each variable) for treatment durations of up to 12 months. Discontinuation was not associated with rebound insomnia. CONCLUSION: The open-label trial of long-term hypnotic therapy with zaleplon 5 and 10 mg suggests that they are safe and effective for the treatment of insomnia in older patients. Placebo-controlled, double-blind trials are needed in zaleplon and other BzRAs to confirm these results.

Kezirian EJ, Harrison SL, Ancoli-Israel S, Redline S, Ensrud K, Goldberg AN, Claman DM, Spira AP, Stone KL, Anonymous00077. · Department of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. · Sleep. · Pubmed #19238813 links to  free full text

Abstract: STUDY OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and subjective measures of daytime sleepiness, sleep quality, and sleep-related quality of life in a large cohort of community-dwelling older men and to determine whether any association remained after adjustment for sleep duration. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. The functional outcome measures of interest were daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale, ESS), sleep-related symptoms (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI), and sleep-related quality of life (Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire, FOSQ). Analysis of variance and adjusted regression analyses examined the association between these outcome measures and SDB severity and actigraphy-determined total sleep time (TST). We then explored whether associations with SDB were confounded by sleep duration by adjusting models for TST. SETTING: Community-based sample in home and research clinic settings. PARTICIPANTS: Two-thousand eight-hundred forty-nine older men from the multicenter Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study that began in 2000. All participants underwent in-home polysomnography for 1 night and wrist actigraphy for a minimum of 5 consecutive nights. INTERVENTIONS: N/A. Measurements and Results: Participants were aged 76.4 + 5.5 years and had an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of 17.0 + 15.0. AHI and TST were weakly correlated. ESS scores individually were modestly associated with AHI and TST, but the association with AHI was attenuated by adjustment for TST. PSQI and FOSQ scores were largely not associated with measures of SDB severity but were modestly associated with TST. CONCLUSIONS: Daytime sleepiness, nighttime sleep disturbances, and sleep-related quality of life were modestly associated with TST. After adjustment for TST, there was no independent association with SDB severity. These results underscore the potential differences in SDB functional outcomes in older versus young and middle-aged adults.

Spira AP, Stone K, Beaudreau SA, Ancoli-Israel S, Yaffe K. · Division of Geriatrics and Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. · Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. · Pubmed #19155746 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Few studies have examined the association between anxiety symptoms and objectively measured sleep quality in older adults. The authors determined this association in a large cohort of very old community-dwelling women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Participants' homes, sites of the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. PARTICIPANTS: Three thousand forty women (mean age: 83.6 years) enrolled in a prospective study of aging. MEASUREMENTS: Participants completed the Goldberg Anxiety Scale (ANX), the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and > or = 3 nights of actigraphy--a method of measuring sleep by recording wrist movement with a device called an actigraph. Elevated anxiety symptoms were defined as ANX > or = 6. Elevated depressive symptoms were defined as GDS > or = 6. RESULTS: Participants' mean ANX score was 1.4 (standard deviation: 2.2); 9.2% (N = 280) had ANX > or = 6. Elevated anxiety symptoms were associated with greater odds of poor sleep efficiency (odds ratio [OR]: 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.34, 2.23) and time awake after sleep onset (OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.27, 2.11). Associations remained after adjustment for GDS > or = 6, antianxiety medications, and other potential confounders (sleep efficiency OR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.97; time awake after sleep onset OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.75). Anxiety symptoms were not associated with other sleep parameters. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that elevated anxiety symptoms are independently associated with poor objectively measured sleep efficiency and elevated sleep fragmentation in very old women, after accounting for significant depressive symptoms, medical comorbidities, and use of antianxiety medications.

Stone KL, Ancoli-Israel S, Blackwell T, Ensrud KE, Cauley JA, Redline S, Hillier TA, Schneider J, Claman D, Cummings SR. · Research Institute, California Pacific Medical Center, 185 Berry St, Lobby 4, Fifth Floor, Ste 5700, San Francisco, CA 94107-1762, USA. · Arch Intern Med. · Pubmed #18779464 No free full text.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Prior studies have suggested that insomnia and self-reported poor sleep are associated with increased risk of falls. However, no previous study, to our knowledge, has tested the independent associations of objectively estimated characteristics of sleep and risk of falls, accounting for the use of commonly prescribed treatments for insomnia. METHODS: Study subjects were participants in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. In 2978 primarily community-dwelling women 70 years and older (mean age, 84 years), sleep and daytime inactivity were estimated using wrist actigraphy data collected for a minimum of 3 consecutive 24-hour periods (mean duration, 86.3 hours). Fall frequency during the subsequent year was ascertained by a triannual questionnaire. Use of medications was obtained by examiner interview. RESULTS: In multivariate-adjusted models, relative to those with "normal" nighttime sleep duration (>7 to 8 hours per night), the odds of having 2 or more falls in the subsequent year was elevated for women who slept 5 hours or less per night (odds ratio, 1.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-2.24). This association was not explained by the use of benzodiazepines. Indexes of sleep fragmentation were also associated with an increased risk of falls. For example, women with poor sleep efficiency (<70% of time in bed spent sleeping) had 1.36-fold increased odds of falling compared with others (odds ratio, 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.74). CONCLUSION: Short nighttime sleep duration and increased sleep fragmentation are associated with increased risk of falls in older women, independent of benzodiazepine use and other risk factors for falls.

Bardwell WA, Profant J, Casden DR, Dimsdale JE, Ancoli-Israel S, Natarajan L, Rock CL, Pierce JP, Anonymous00006. · Rebecca & John Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA. · Psychooncology. · Pubmed #17428006 links to  free full text

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Many individual risk factors for insomnia have been identified for women with a history of breast cancer. We assessed the relative importance of a wide range of risk factors for insomnia in this population. METHODS: Two thousand six hundred and forty-five women < or =4 years post-treatment for Stage I (> or =1 cm)-IIIA breast cancer provided data on cancer-related variables, personal characteristics, health behaviors, physical health/symptoms, psychosocial variables, and the Women's Health Initiative-Insomnia Rating Scale (WHI-IRS; scores > or =9 indicate clinically significant insomnia). RESULTS: Thirty-nine per cent had elevated WHI-IRS scores. In binary logistic regression, the variance in high/low insomnia group status accounted for by each risk factor category was: cancer-specific variables, 0.4% (n.s.); personal characteristics, 0.9% (n.s.); health behaviors, 0.6% (n.s.); physical health/symptoms, 13.4% (p<0.001); and, psychosocial factors, 11.4% (p<0.001). Insomnia was associated with worse depressive (OR = 1.32) and vasomotor symptoms (particularly night sweats) (OR = 1.57). CONCLUSION: Various cancer-specific, demographic, health behavior, physical health, and psychosocial factors have been previously reported as risk factors for insomnia in breast cancer. In our study (which was powered for simultaneous examination of a variety of variables), cancer-specific, health behavior, and other patient variables were not significant risk factors when in the presence of physical health and psychosocial variables. Only worse depressive and vasomotor symptoms were meaningful predictors.

Ancoli-Israel S. · Department of Psychiatry, 116A VASDHS, University of California-San Diego, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92161, USA. · Am J Manag Care. · Pubmed #16686592 links to  free full text

Abstract: Chronic insomnia may coexist with chronic physical and psychiatric conditions, and its prevalence is often higher among patients with these conditions than in the general population. Evidence suggests that insomnia as a feature of chronic disease tends to be more severe and persistent than insomnia that does not occur in the context of chronic illness. Furthermore, comorbid insomnia can have a profound negative impact on patients' quality of life and overall functioning, and may be associated with greater healthcare resource utilization. In some cases, treatment of the underlying disorder may improve sleep, whereas in other cases, treatment of the sleep symptoms may actually improve the underlying disorder. In addition, chronic insomnia may be a precursor to certain psychiatric comorbidities. Further research is needed not only to clarify the efficacy and safety of specific therapeutic approaches but also to further investigate the possibility that successful treatment of sleep disturbances may improve objective and subjective parameters of the disorders themselves. This article reviews the specific associations between chronic insomnia and a wide range of chronic physical and psychiatric disorders.

Ancoli-Israel S, Benca RM, Edinger JD, Krystal AD, Mendelson W, Moldofsky H, Petrie J, Roth T, Walsh JK, Winkelman J, Anonymous00109. · No affiliation provided · J Clin Psychiatry. · Pubmed #15153067 No free full text.

This publication has no abstract.

Kryger M, Monjan A, Bliwise D, Ancoli-Israel S. · University of Manitoba, Sleep Disorders Centre, St. Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. · Geriatrics. · Pubmed #14755865 No free full text.

Abstract: Problems with sleep are common with advancing years and occur in over half of adults age 65 and older. It has been estimated that insomnia affects about a third of the older population in this country. This inability to have restful sleep at night results in excessive daytime sleepiness, attention and memory problems, depressed mood, falls, and lowered quality of life. Other factors associated with aging, such as disease, changes in environment, or concurrent age-related processes also may contribute to problems of sleep. Data indicate that age by itself does not predict incident complaints of insomnia, even in the presence of lowered sleep efficiency and decreased proportion of slow-wave sleep. Rather, the prevalence of insomnia and other sleep disorders is high in the geriatric population due to the associated comorbidities common in late life. It is now evident that disturbance in sleep can also lead to adverse changes in functioning of a number of body systems.

Shochat T, Umphress J, Israel AG, Ancoli-Israel S. · Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, USA. · Sleep. · Pubmed #10394608 No free full text.

Abstract: STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of insomnia in primary care patients, to examine patients' help-seeking behavior, and to compare the frequency of insomnia in primary care patients to the general population. METHODS: 286 patients from primary care clinics in San Diego, California (n = 96), and in Haleiwa and Honolulu, Hawaii (n = 190) participated. Sleep study questionnaires were distributed by front desk receptionists to all patients over 18 years of age upon arrival at the clinic for an appointment with the physician. Completed questionnaires were collected at the clinic or returned by mail. Comparisons were made by using nonparametric statistics. A logistic regression analysis using backward elimination was done to develop a model showing predictors of who would consult with the physician about a sleep problem. RESULTS: The prevalence of insomnia in primary care patients was 69%, with 50% reporting occasional insomnia and 19% reporting chronic insomnia. As expected, patients with chronic insomnia had the most severe sleep complaints as well as the poorest daytime functioning, and exhibited the most help-seeking behaviors. The four predictors of discussing insomnia with a physician were how patients felt physically, number of years of insomnia, age, and income. CONCLUSIONS: The primary care population has a higher prevalence of insomnia than the general population, probably because of concomitant psychiatric and medical illnesses. Although many of the characteristics of the sleep complaints are easily detected, most patients with insomnia are not treated effectively.

Roth T, Ancoli-Israel S. · National Sleep Foundation. · Sleep. · Pubmed #10394607 No free full text.

Abstract: The daytime consequences and correlates of insomnia were examined in the National Sleep Foundation and the Gallup Organization survey of 1,000 randomly selected Americans. Respondents were grouped as having occasional insomnia, chronic insomnia or no insomnia. There were dramatic differences in reported waking behaviors and psychosocial measures by insomniacs compared to those who do not report sleep difficulty. These problems include impaired concentration, impaired memory, decreased ability to accomplish daily tasks and decreased enjoyment of interpersonal relationships. Importantly, most of these variables showed an increasing degree of impairment with greater frequency of sleep disturbance. These findings suggest that insomnia negatively impacts aspects of waking function related to quality of life.

Ancoli-Israel S, Roth T. · National Sleep Foundation. · Sleep. · Pubmed #10394606 No free full text.

Abstract: The National Sleep Foundation in conjunction with the Gallup Organization conducted telephone interviews with a sample of Americans (N = 1000) to examine the prevalence and nature of difficulty with sleep. Consistent with other national studies, about one-third of Americans reported some type of sleep problem. Approximately one in four reported occasional insomnia while 9% reported that their sleep difficulty occurred on a regular nightly basis. The problem most frequently reported by insomniacs was waking up in the morning feeling drowsy or tired, followed by waking up in the middle of the night, difficulty going back to sleep after waking up and difficulty falling asleep initially. Importantly, insomniacs rarely visited a physician to discuss their sleep problem and four out of ten insomniacs self-medicated with either over-the-counter medications or with alcohol. Two-thirds of the insomniacs reported that they did not have an understanding of available treatments for insomnia.