Epidemiological study of the relationship between sleep disturbances and somatic and psychological complaints among the Japanese general population

There have been only a few studies on the relationship between sleep disturbances and somatic and psychological complaints in Japanese people. In this study, we analyzed this relationship using the data of the health and welfare survey performed in 2000 by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between sleep disturbances and somatic and psychological complaints among the Japanese general population. The survey was performed in members of households in 300 areas extracted randomly from all over the country using a self-reported questionnaire. The questionnaire items included somatic and psychological complaints (headache, dizziness, palpitation/dyspnea, epigastric discomfort, constipation/diarrhea, stiff neck/shoulder, backache, easy fatigability, persistent fatigue, irritability, anxiety, and worrying about health) and sleep disturbances. Data obtained from 28 714 subjects, aged 20 years or more, were analyzed. The prevalences of almost all complaints were significantly higher in the females than in the males. In the subjects who had a larger number of somatic and psychological complaints, the prevalence of symptom concerning sleep disturbances, such as difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, early morning awakening, insomnia, short sleep duration, and subjective insufficient sleep, were higher. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that individual somatic and psychological complaints were independently associated with each symptom of sleep disturbance. It is important to apply the results of this study to the treatment of sleep disturbances and sleep hygiene.