A range of factors, including stress and a poor quality bed, can cause insomnia. Indeed, stress-busting techniques and a comfortable bed – such as those available at Time4Sleep – may help combat sleep problems. However, a recent study conducted by Universite Laval’s school of Psychology has revealed that families may also play a part in the sleep deprivation experienced by some individuals.
The study found that an individual’s risk of insomnia is 67 per cent greater if one member or more of their family is an insomniac. It assessed 3,485 people and asked them about their immediate family and their own sleep quality. It also found that the more insomniacs there were in the family, the greater the risk of other members of the family from experiencing it too.
Charles M. Morin, director of the study, commented: “There is very probably a genetic factor behind the family aggregation we observed. However, we don’t know if the mechanism is a physiological process that interferes with sleep or a predisposition to anxiety.
“When we see a member of our family react strongly to an episode of insomnia, we may have the same reaction when faced with the problem ourselves. This type of behaviour can transform situational insomnia into a chronic condition’, he added.
