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.

Chronic Insomnia May Lead To Depression And Anxiety

Long term insomnia may lead to health problems including anxiety and depression if left untreated.

A study conducted by Dag Neckelmann from the Haukeland University Hospital in Norway, was based on data collected from two general health surveys involving 25,130 adults. Dr. Neckelmann found significant correlations between chronic insomnia and the development of anxiety disorders and depression, compared to the control group of participants without chronic insomnia.

He says, "Chronic insomnia is a state marker of both anxiety disorder and depression. From a clinical point of view, these results imply that individuals reporting chronic insomnia, in addition to receiving adequate treatment for their sleep disturbance, should be carefully examined for the presence of anxiety disorder as well as depression.

Focusing on chronic insomnia as a symptom of both anxiety and depression may facilitate the early detection of a mental disorder, as well as the detection of comorbidity. Though not demonstrated, alleviating chronic insomnia may reduce the risk of developing anxiety disorders."