Prevalence of insomnia-related symptoms continues to increase in the Finnish working-age population

Abstract

In 2008, we published epidemiological data from 1972 to 2005 that suggested an increase in insomnia-related symptoms among the working-age population. The results were based on the National FINRISK (FR) Study samples of the Finnish adult population aged 25–64, and on the Finnish Quality of Work Life Surveys (FQWLS), carried out among Finnish salary earners. Both of these ongoing studies have since provided two new estimates of insomnia-related symptoms. Chronic insomnia-related symptoms were 9.0% (95% CI 8.3–9.7), 9.6% (95% CI 8.8–10.4) in FR 2007 and 2012, respectively; and 9.1% (95% CI 8.3–10.0), 9.2% (95% CI 8.4–10.1) in FQWLS 2008 and 2013, respectively. Occasional insomnia-related symptoms were 45.3% (95% CI 44.1–46.6), 42.5% (95% CI 41.1–43.9) in FR 2007 and 2012, respectively; and 40.3% (95% CI 38.8–41.7), 44.8% (95% CI 41.1–43.9) in FQWLS 2008 and 2013, respectively. The new estimates further strengthen the interpretation of the ongoing increase in occasional insomnia-related symptoms among the Finnish general adult population. The increase in occasional symptoms was most prominent among employees. However, chronic insomnia symptoms showed no further increase.