Digestive (GI) disorders may be associated with insomnia

According to the 2003 Sleep in America study, about 50 percent of American adults aged 55 to 84 experience insomnia at least a few nights per week. Insomnia is defined as consistent difficulty falling sleep, waking many times during sleep, waking too early or not being able to fall back to sleep or waking feeling tired. A new study reveals that there is an association between gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and sleep disturbances. This association is important because insomnia, along with GI disease, can cause significant health issues.

The authors of the study assessed responses to a detailed questionnaire from 2,269 people and found that those with sleep disturbances were more likely to have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). They also evaluated insomnia and functional dyspepsia (FD, heartburn/indigestion), and although they found that 22 percent of the people with insomnia tended to have FD, they found no significant correlations between insomnia and FD. It is uncertain whether IBS causes sleep disorders or if insomnia causes GI disorders. We think the findings will generate further research to understand the interactions between emotional or psychological distress and sleep disturban-ces and GI disturbances.