A study in the November issue of SLEEP suggests that insomnia is a major contributor to deaths caused by motor vehicle crashes and other unintentional fatal injuries. People with three symptoms of insomnia were 2.8 times more likely to die from a fatal injury than those with no insomnia symptoms, even after adjusting for potential confounders such as alcohol consumption and daily use of sleep medication. Among the three insomnia symptoms, difficulty falling asleep appeared to have the strongest and most robust association with fatal injuries.
The results underscore the importance of healthy sleep for public health and safety, notes the National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, CDC and other project partners remind you to “Sleep Well, Be Well.”
