Insomnia symptoms and risk of bloodstream infections: prospective data from the prospective population‐based Nord‐Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) , Norway

What is it about?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder defined as having a subjective feeling of difficulties initiating or maintaining sleep, or early morning awakening and impaired daytime functioning. Insomnia affects from 6% to 19% of the European population. Previous research suggests that insomnia decreases immune function. We have for the first time studied if insomnia increases risk of bloodstream infections (BSIs) in a general population. We have used 53,536 participants in the second Norwegian Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT2) (1995–97) that reported insomnia symptoms. We studied their risk of BSI with insomnia using linkage to hospital confirmed BSIs.

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Why is it important?

This is the first human-based study to date regarding insomnia as a risk factor for future BSI and BSI-related mortality. We found evidence of a weak positive increased risk of first-time BSI with all the DSM-IV- and two of the DSM-V-related insomnia symptoms as well as moderately increased risk with cumulative insomnia symptoms and insomnia to such a degree that it affected work performance.

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