Daytime alertness and anxiety can strongly predict the use of prescription sleep aids among people with insomnia, according to an analysis of longitudinal data involving 649 individuals.

Participants—averaging 48 years of age and diagnosed with insomnia disorder—reported on sleep disturbance, daytime alertness, depression, and anxiety at baseline and 1 year later. They also noted their use and frequency of use of prescription sleep aids.

Among the results:

• About 1 in 5 reported using prescription sleep aids at baseline; nearly 70% of this group were still using them at follow-up.

• The only independent predictors of prescription sleep aid use were anxiety and daytime alertness.

• Those who used prescription sleep aids regularly did not report significantly improved sleep compared with nonusers.

The authors noted that their findings mirror other data showing that insomnia extends beyond a nighttime issue, and is characterized by 24-hour arousal.

Citation: Pillal V, Cheng P, Kalmbach D, Roehrs T, Roth T, Drake C. Prevalence and predictors of prescription sleep-aid use among individuals with DSM-5 insomnia: The role of hyperarousal. [Published online ahead of print January 15, 2016]. Sleep. doi:pii: sp-00534-15.