Insomnia damages relationships: Study

ISLAMABAD: Lack of sleep needs to be treated as a major health issue as it may be harmful for the relationships as well, according to a research.

The report, Sleep Matters, suggests a link between insomnia and poor relationships, low energy levels and an inability to concentrate, BBC health reported.

The research showed people with insomnia were four times as likely to have relationship problems, three times as likely to feel depressed and three times as likely to suffer from a lack of concentration.

Poor sleep has already been linked to depression, immune deficiency and heart disease.

The number of adults suffering from insomnia in the UK has previously been estimated at around 30 per cent.

Nearly 6,800 people took part in an online survey, believed to be the largest of its type in the UK, for this report.

It was more likely to attract participants concerned about their sleep and is not representative of the whole of the UK.

However, it does show a gulf in the experiences of good sleepers and insomniacs.

Dr Dan Robotham, senior researcher at the Mental Health Foundation and lead author of the report, believes people can get stuck in a spiral where poor sleep leads to mental health problems which leads to even worse sleep.

He said: "It is crucial that people are aware of the effective ways of breaking that spiral by improving the quality of their sleep.

"Employers, schools and public health bodies also need to know how they can identify and support people suffering from sleep disorders."