A SURVEY OF SLEEPING DIFFICULTIES IN AN AUSTRALIAN POPULATION

Abstract

The percentage of 216 respondents to a telephone study in Adelaide reporting that they “often have difficulty” with various aspects of sleep ranged from 13 per cent‐20 per cent, a prevalence at least as great as in Northern hemisphere populations. There were few overall differences between men and women in reporting sleep difficulties. Older people, particularly men, reported more nocturnal awakening and early morning awakening. Older people reported less daytime drowsiness and less insufficient sleep yet also reported more medical advice and medication for sleep problems. For many older people counselling and the provision of information may be more appropriate than hypnotic drug prescription. Delayed sleep phase syndrome was identified in about 6–7 per cent of the sample. This problem is associated with insufficient sleep and daytime drowsiness, and is therefore considered as a significant health problem in the community. The paper identifies some possible non‐drug treatments for delayed sleep phase syndrome. 1988 Public Health Association of Australia