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Article: Insomnia and sleep disorders in women.(Women's Health Update)
- Article from:
- Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients
- Article date:
- April 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Townsend Letter Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Overview of the Problem
Inadequate or dissatisfying sleep is the most common sleep disturbance in America. As many as 40% of adult Americans report at least occasional insomnia, and of those, nearly 20% have severe insomnia. Severe insomnia is defined as difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep at least three times a week for 1 month or more, with the problem being bad enough to cause fatigue during the day or impaired functioning.
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Women are 30% more likely than men to report their insomnia, and it is more likely to be more severe. Sleep problems are especially common in peri-menopausal women and increase after age 40 ...