Epidemiologic study of sleep quality and troubles in French secondary school adolescents

Background: The purpose of the study was to assess the prevalence and correlates of sleep problems in adolescents. Methods: A total of 763 students chosen at random among the 15 secondary schools of a French departement were given a self-report questionnaire. Results: As much as 40.8% reported at least one of the five sleep disturbances we studied including difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep, a need for more sleep, early awakenings, and chronic sleeping pill intake. These sleep problems were highly related to various personal and family disorders. Discriminant analysis for categorical data pointed to a consistent but not significant descriptive profile accounting for sleep problems in these students. Suicide, weight concerns, and stimulant abuse were the most informative personal correlates as parts of this profile. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the complaint of poor sleep should be regarded with special care in adolescents as a possibly meaningful and sensitive sign of severe family or personal disruption. (C) Society for Adolescent Medicine, 1997.