Headlines - Sleep Disorders

Sleep remains a relatively unexplored field for epidemiologists. The descriptive data available at the national level on sleep disorders, and in particular on insomnia—the most common disorder—are very limited. In France, one in five people suffers from chronic insomnia. Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is poorly understood and largely underdiagnosed. These disorders, which have significant consequences on daily life, are not adequately managed. In 2008, as part of the 2007–2010 Sleep Action Program, the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS) launched an epidemiological survey aimed at gathering quantitative data on the prevalence and severity of sleep disorders in France. This study is based on a questionnaire developed in collaboration with clinicians, included in the Health and Social Protection Survey (ESPS) conducted by the Institute for Research and Documentation in Health Economics (Irdes), to which 12,636 people aged 16 and older responded. This study focused on chronic insomnia and SAS. [...]