You Are More Likely To Have Insomnia If A Family Member Is An Insomniac

You are more likely to have insomnia if a family member is insomniac. This is according to a Study directed by Dr. Charles M. Morin of Université Laval's School of Psychology in Quebec City.

The research team found that the increased risk of insomnia is 67% higher in people from families in which at least one member is an insomniac.
The study involved 3,485 people and the participants were asked to answer questions on their sleep quality and that of their immediate families by telephone and then fill out questionnaire that they mailed in on three separate occasions in the following 12 months.
The analysed data showed that 40% of respondents came from a family that had at least one member who is an insomniac and the risk of suffering from insomnia increased according to the number of family members with insomnia.

Dr Charles Morin said that there is very probably a genetic factor behind the family aggregation observed but that we don't know if the mechanism is a physiological process that interferes with sleep or a predisposition to anxiety.
Certain attitudes towards insomnia by family members about not being able to fall asleep could also be involved and their negative experiences with insomnia could transform situational insomnia into a chronic condition.

He concludes by saying that the study conducted suggests that early psychological treatment could benefit people from families with chronic insomnia sufferers.