Sleep status among adults

Sleep disorders present a substantial challenge to public health. This study aims to analyze patterns in self-reported trouble sleeping, duration of sleep, and the utilization of prescription medications commonly used for insomnia (MCUFI) among the adult in the US.

Data from five cycles of cross-sectional studies were gathered via the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning the years 2009 to 2010 through 2017 to 2018. Participants were asked to self-report on their trouble sleeping and sleep duration.

The prevalence of self-reported trouble sleeping rose noticeably from 24.93% (95% confidence interval [CI],22.73%-27.28%) in 2009-2010 to 30.03% (95%CI, 27.22%-33.00%) in 2017-2018 (P for trend = 0.001). In 2017-2018, 24.25% (95%CI, 22.04%-26.60%) reported < 7 h of sleep, which is a decreased of 11.94% since 2009-2010, while those reported ≥ 9 h increased from 7.14% (95%CI, 6.21%-8.20%) to 20.89% (95%CI, 19.90%-21.92%). However, those who slept for 7-9 h did not experience a significant change. Moreover, a U-shaped relationship was observed between sleep duration and trouble sleeping, indicating that the optimal amount of sleep for adults is 7.5 h. Furthermore, 3.72% (95%CI, 3.39%-4.09%) of adults used a MCUFI, with the most commonly used medications being zolpidem and trazodone. The overall MCUFI use did not change from 2009 to 2018 (P for trend = 0.9923).

In conclusion, the prevalence of self-reported trouble sleeping has risen in the US during the past decade, whereas the utilization of MCUFI has remained steady. Evidence from this study has shown that a sleep duration of 7.5 h is the optimal time for sleep with the lowest risk of encountering trouble sleeping.