Insomniacs have relatives with insomnia

QUEBEC, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- People with current or past insomnia are more likely to report a family history of insomnia than are those without a sleep disorder, a Canadian study says.

Simon Beaulieu-Bonneau, of the Ecole de psychologie at Universite Laval, in Quebec, studied 953 adults between ages 18 and 83, who completed several questionnaires, including a survey of current and past history of insomnia/sleep disorders for self and first-degree relatives.

The study, published in the journal Sleep, found 52 percent of the subjects were classified as good sleepers, 32.5 percent as individuals with insomnia symptoms, and 15.5 percent as having met criteria for an insomnia syndrome.

The study also found that 39.7 percent of the subjects reported at least one first-degree relative -- parent or sibling -- with a current or past sleep problem. Insomnia was by far the most frequent sleep problem reported in first-degree relatives -- 34.9 percent -- followed by 4.6 percent who report sleep apnea, 2.6 percent who report restless legs syndrome and 2.4 percent who report excessive daytime sleepiness.