Sleep-related problems and associated factors among the Brazilian population: National Health Survey, 2013

Abstract The scope of this study was to estimate the frequency of sleep-related problems and associated factors. It was a study based on data from the National Health Survey conducted in Brazil in 2013. Sleep-related problems were assessed with the question “How often have you had sleep problems in the last two weeks, such as difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night or sleeping more than usual?” The answers were grouped into: none of the days, less than half of the days and more than half of the days. Of the individuals evaluated, 71.1% reported having no problems with sleep on any day, 14.0% on at least half of the days and 14.9% on more than half of the days. The highest frequencies of sleep-related problems were reported by women and more advanced age. For men and women, smoking, alcohol abuse, physical inactivity, sedentary behavior, and high blood pressure were significantly associated with the frequency of sleep problems on more than half of the days, and also excess weight for women. Thus, the frequency of sleep-related problems in the Brazilian population was high. Women, older individuals with lifestyle-related risk behaviors, high blood pressure, and overweight were the highest risk subgroups.