Background. Sleep is considered a factor in maintaining balance and good health. However, the epidemiology of insomnia—the most common sleep disorder—is poorly understood in France. Methods. A literature search of articles published between 1980 and 2009 concerning all epidemiological studies conducted in France on the prevalence and factors associated with insomnia was conducted in "Medline." Subsequently, a search for reports not indexed in "Medline" was performed in the "Public Health Database." We also searched for questions regarding sleep disorders in the questionnaires and reports of multi-thematic health surveys of the general population. Results. In the general population, six specific studies were conducted between 1987 and 2003, while in the workplace, eight studies were conducted between 1980 and 2000. In surveys of middle school, high school, and college students, questions focused on daytime fatigue caused by sleep deprivation, but few studies examined insomnia in children or adolescents. Methodological differences among the surveys, as well as the heterogeneity in the definition of sleep disorders, resulted in widely varying prevalence rates. Between 30% and 50% of adults in France reported having a sleep disorder, whereas using a stricter classification, such as that of the DSM-IV, the prevalence of insomnia affected between 15% and 20% of the population. Women consistently reported more sleep disorders than men. Sleep disorders were associated with absenteeism and work-related absences. Comorbidity with anxiety and depressive disorders has been demonstrated in several studies. Conclusion. Monitoring sleep disorders appears important from a public health perspective and requires preliminary work on standardizing questionnaires and survey methodology.