Insomnia is Common in Teens

A recent study published in the journal Sleep (Vol. 31; No. 2, 2008, p. 177) examined the incidence, chronicity, and remission of symptoms of insomnia in adolescents aged 11 to 17 years of age. The study was conducted by Dr. Robert E. Roberts and colleagues from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. The authors assessed information collected from 3,134 boys and girls, who had all participated in Teen Health 2000, which was a study involving youths in HMOs in the metropolitan Houston Area. Participants answered computer-based questionnaires and were interviewed at baseline and one year later.

One in Four Teens Showed Significant Symptoms of Insomnia Every Day For a Month

The symptoms of insomnia were separated into several categories: Nonrestorative sleep, Trouble falling asleep, Nighttime waking with difficulty getting back to sleep again, Nighttime waking without difficulty returning to sleep, and Early morning awakenings.

One-year incidence was 13.9% for at least one of the above symptoms and 5.5% for symptoms with added daytime sleepiness. This indicates that insomnia is as common among adolescents as mood and anxiety disorders, as well as substance abuse.

The results of the study found that one in four youths reported 1 or more symptoms of insomnia every day for a month. When studied a year later, nearly half of those respondents (45.8%) had one or more of the above symptoms and more than a third, or 34.7%, had at least one symptom in addition to fatigue and sleepiness. The addition of fatigue and sleepiness suggests a progression of their condition.

Predictors of Insomnia Include Gender, Physical Health and Stress

As part of the Teen Health 2000 study, the authors analyzed numerous background variables that could be risk factors for insomnia. These included age, gender, family income, ethnic status, physical health, mental health and life stress (school, neighborhood, or family). Anxiety disorders, mood disorders, behavioral disorders, eating disorders and substance abuse were also included.

By excluding mood, anxiety and substance use disorders, the authors found 23.6% of teenagers to suffer from chronic insomnia. They also found independent predictors of insomnia to include being female, having poorer health, in addition to increased life stress, such as dealing with issues at home and at school.

These findings suggest that insomnia is a great public health problem and a major chronic disease affecting a large portion of teenagers in the United States. Insomnia is a symptom that may result from common sleep disorders, such as apnea or RLS, which were not evaluated in this study and require additional testing and treatment.