Chronic insomnia linked to higher death risk

Brits under close care with chronic insomnia face an elevated risk of death, according to new research.

The harzard ratio for people with chronic insomnia was nearly three-times higher than in those without the condition, scientists at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine have found.

Researchers were also surprised by the lack of variation between different types of insomnia, which did not reveal any significant change in mortality risk.

Lead study author Laurel Finn, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said: "The most surprising result was the increased high risk for mortality among individuals with chronic insomnia versus those without insomnia, even after adjustment for all of the potential confounding variables.

He added that the link is likely to raise the priority level for insomnia treatment.

Research published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine last December indicated that insomnia symptoms are linked with medical complaints among young school-aged children, such as headaches.

Find the nearest Barchester care home.