Daytime sleepiness in 40-64 year-old women in relation to somatic health and medical treatment

Abstract

Objective - To investigate daytime sleepiness and napping in relation to nocturnal sleep, health, and medication. Design - An epidemiological survey using a questionnaire. Setting - The county of Jämtland in northern Sweden. Subjects - 3669 randomly selected women aged 40-64 years, with a similar number of women in each 5-year age group. Main outcome measures - Daytime sleepiness (DS), health, night sleep, somatic diseases, and medication. Results - DS was more common in subjects suffering from asthma, cardiac diseases, hypertension, muscular pain, and frequent nocturnal micturition. In a logistic regression analysis with DS as the dependent variable and age, health, nocturnal sleep, frequent awakenings, inability to fall asleep again after nocturnal awakening, and hypnotic medication as explanatory variables there was an increase in DS by age in each 5-year class from 40-44 years, but a decrease in DS beyond 60 years. General health, health development during the last 5 years, and sleep characteristics were associated with increased DS. There was no increase in DS related to the use of hypnotics. Conclusions - Poor health, a poor night's sleep, and different somatic diseases, but not use of hypnotics, are associated with DS in women aged 40-64.