Insomnia and other sleep disorders in dermatology patients - a questionnaire-based study with 634 patients

Abstract Insufficient sleep duration or quality are associated with various adverse health outcomes. Whereas sleep disorders were studied in a few skin conditions, data in a more comprehensive dermatology population are lacking. We sought to describe the prevalence, causes and consequences of sleep disorders in dermatology patients. In this cross-sectional, single-center study, dermatology patients completed a questionnaire addressing (non-)skin-related health, sleep behavior, causes and consequences of sleep disorders. According to the Regensburg Insomnia Scale 27.92% patients of the 634 participants had insomnia (177/634). Of these patients, 115/177 (64.97%) were subjectively sleep disturbed with skin-related causes accounting for 55.65% (64/115), non-skin-related for 33.04% (38/115) and combined for 11.30% (13/115). Itch was the leading cause of skin-related sleep disorders (64.49%, 50/77), followed by skin-related pain (55.84%, 43/77) and skin-related fearful thoughts (54.55%, 42/77). Sleep disorders reduced daytime performance in 68.70% (79/115) and sleep quality of relatives in 20.87% (24/115). The prevalence of insomnia among different diagnostic categories ranged from 20.31-50.00%. Most common strategy to improve sleep was taking sleep medication (57.39%, 66/115). We conclude that sleep disorders are highly prevalent in dermatology patients, often leading to reduced daytime performance, impaired sleep among the patients' relatives and increased use of substances.