Objective To understand the effects of life event and family function on primary insomnia.Methods Fifty-six patients with primary insomnia for more than three months and 56 patients without it,were asked to the questions listed on Family APGAR)Index(FAI),Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)and Trait Coping Style Questionnaire(TCSQ)when they visited community health care service,Forty-eight patients with insomnia(case group)and 52 non-insomnia ones(control group) responded to the questions.Data were analyzed by SSPS version 10.0 software.Results There was statistically significant difference in sleep quality(χ~2=10.75,P0.005)and in trait coping style response (χ~2=4.03,P0.05)between the two groups.Negative coping response associated with sleep quality(χ~2 =4.05,P0.05).No statistical difference in family function between the two groups was found(χ~2= 3.39,P0.05).Conclusions Sleep quality was influenced by life events and disturbance of family function through trait coping style response in patients with insomnia.