Association between Sleep Disturbances and Abdominal Symptoms

• Published in: Internal Medicine Vol. 53; no. 19; pp. 2179 - 2183
• Main Authors: Morito, Yoshiya, Aimi, Masahito, Ishimura, Norihisa, Shimura, Shino, Mikami, Hironobu, Okimoto, Eiko, Sato, Shuuichi, Ishihara, Shunji, Kushiyama, Yoshinori, Katsube, Tomoko, Adachi, Kyoichi, Kinoshita, Yoshikazu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 01.01.2014
• Subjects: abdominal symptoms; Dyspepsia - complications; Dyspepsia - diagnosis; Dyspepsia - epidemiology; Epworth Sleeping Scale; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gastroesophageal Reflux - complications; Gastroesophageal Reflux - diagnosis; Gastroesophageal Reflux - epidemiology; Humans; Incidence; Irritable Bowel Syndrome - complications; Irritable Bowel Syndrome - diagnosis; Irritable Bowel Syndrome - epidemiology; Izumo scale; Japan - epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; sleep disturbance; Sleep Stages - physiology; Sleep Wake Disorders - epidemiology; Sleep Wake Disorders - etiology; Sleep Wake Disorders - physiopathology; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.53.2591

Objective Although gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is known to cause sleep disturbances, the relationships between other abdominal symptoms and sleep disorders have not been clarified. In the present study, we examined the relationships between daytime sleepiness and various abdominal symptoms in a non-clinical population. Methods We enrolled 2,936 subjects who visited Matsue Red Cross Hospital for an annual health check examination during a 10-month consecutive period after excluding those with organic gastrointestinal diseases. The Izumo scale abdominal symptom and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) questionnaires were employed to evaluate the presence of abdominal symptoms and daytime sleepiness. Results Among the 2,936 subjects, 233 (7.9%), 254 (8.6%) and 528 (18%) had GERD-like, functional dyspepsia (FD)-like and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)-like symptoms, respectively. The ESS scores in the subjects with GERD-, FD- and IBS-like symptoms were significantly higher than those observed in the asymptomatic subjects. The subjects with multiple abdominal symptoms tended to have higher ESS scores than those with single symptoms. A multiple logistic regression analysis revealed a younger age and the presence of FD- and IBS-like symptoms to be significant influencing factors for sleep disturbances. Conclusion The presence of FD and IBS symptoms in addition to GERD symptoms exhibits a strong relationship with sleep disturbances from the viewpoint of daytime sleepiness.