The State of Sleep: Understanding Insomnia Symptoms and Treatments in US Adults

BackgroundInsomnia symptoms are common among US adults and there are many options for self-treatment. A wide range of prescription medicines, over the counter (OTC) options, and recreational substances are available that may be labeled for or repurposed to be used to treat insomnia symptoms. MethodsA cross-sectional survey was developed and deployed via the Ipsos KnowledgePanel(R) platform. Qualified subjects were those that reported at least 2 nights of insomnia symptoms per month or less than 2 nights of difficulty due to the use of an active treatment. ResultsA total of 2,223 individuals entered the survey, with 1,299 qualifying for participation as per the qualification criteria (58% prevalence rate). 1,244 participants completed the entire survey. Among those reporting recent sleep treatment use, the most used treatments were vitamin/supplement-based products, OTC allergy/cold medicines, OTC pain relief/sleep combinations, cannabis products, off-label prescription medicines, and alcohol. 74% of respondents indicated that they are not currently seeing an HCP to address their insomnia symptoms. ConclusionMore than half of American adults reported suffering two or more nights per month of impaired sleep or are actively treating insomnia symptoms. A substantial number were repurposing medications or turning to marijuana/THC and alcohol in an attempt to treat these symptoms. Despite the prevalence of insomnia symptoms, few reported seeking input from an HCP. These results emphasize the widespread nature of sleep difficulties and the common nature of self-treatment. A safe and effective OTC sleep aid could potentially play an important public health role given these circumstances.