Study: insomnia linked to earlier death

Having any of the four types of chronic insomnia carries an increased risk of death, according to a new abstract (#0607) on display at SLEEP 2010.

The 20-year study followed tracked the health problems and sleeping habits more than 2,200 people. Each subject responded to two to three mailed surveys in 1989, 1994 and 2000. Using the social security death index, researchers found 128 study participants died prior to 2010.

Those who reported having insomnia in at least two surveys were three times more likely to have died than people who didn’t have insomnia. The risk of death only slightly differed for each of the four types of insomnia: waking up too early, getting back to sleep, getting to sleep and staying asleep.

The results were adjusted for body mass index, age, gender and other self-reported medical conditions.