Insomnia problems affect many people of all genders and ages. It is estimated that over 62% of Italians recognize serious reductions in daytime efficiency due to sleep-related problems. In particular, the highest percentage of those who claim to suffer at least one of the main consequences of disturbed sleep is concentrated in Abruzzo (65.8%), complaining above all of tiredness and low energy during the day.
This and much more emerged from the recent study conducted by the Unobravo Observatory on sleep problems in Italy, created by the online psychology service to delve deeper into the topic and investigate how these problems risk affecting people’s psychological well-being. The Observatory collected and analyzed the results of the free and anonymous Insomnia Severity Index screening test and the responses collected through a survey conducted on a sample of Unobravo’s user base to provide an overview of the Italian situation.
Sleep, which is a fundamental necessity for physical, mental and emotional well-being, affects the lives of Abruzzese people. In fact, the study shows that Abruzzo, Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy are the regions with the highest percentage of those who claim to suffer from at least one of the main symptoms of disturbed sleep.
For proper rest and to recharge, it is necessary to sleep 7-8 hours a day: it regulates metabolism and helps the brain eliminate toxins from neural tissue, process information and improve learning, also reducing stress and anxiety. Yet, in Italy, 7 out of 10 people are dissatisfied with the quality or duration of their sleep (72.3%) and more than half say they have difficulty falling asleep (58%).
Abruzzo is the region most affected by sleep problems. Disturbed sleep can cause problems in daily life, causing in particular a feeling of tiredness and exhaustion throughout the day (40.2%), continuous nighttime or early awakenings (26.5%), decline in cognitive abilities (19.8%) and increased irritability and impulsiveness (14.7%).
While at a national level it is a widespread phenomenon, with more than half of the Italians involved in the Unobravo analysis (55.4%) experiencing at least one of the four main consequences of poor quality sleep, at a local level the region that is proportionally most affected by these problems is Abruzzo, where 65.8% of respondents experience at least one of the effects mentioned above. According to the Unobravo Observatory, those most affected are women (64.6%), while looking at age, half of the cases (50%) involve those between 30 and 44 years old. 35.41%, however, are under 30.
Tiredness and low energy: the most common symptoms in Abruzzo. Among the people of Abruzzo who declare to experience at least one of the effects of disturbed sleep, 66.7% complain of non-restorative sleep, tiredness and low energy during the day, while 41.7% report suffering from night-time awakenings with difficulty falling back to sleep and early awakenings in the morning. Frequent irritability and instinctive or aggressive behaviors are instead symptoms that are recorded in one case out of three (33.3%), while a quarter of people (25%) say they have cognitive difficulties, with difficulty concentrating at work or at school during the day.
“It is essential to take care of your sleep to ensure a better quality of life. Sleeping little or badly can compromise your health in many ways, both physically and mentally, even leading to the manifestation of disorders such as depression or anxiety,” explains Dr. Valeria Fiorenza Perris, psychotherapist and clinical director of Unobravo. “This is why it is essential not to underestimate the symptoms and to contact a doctor, to identify any underlying medical pathologies, or a psychologist online or in person, who will be able to accompany the person on a dedicated path to identify and intervene on disturbing thoughts, anxieties, fears or stress that could prevent a peaceful rest.”
The Unobravo Observatory on insomnia and sleep problems in Italy, with in-depth analysis by region, can be consulted at this link: https://www.unobravo.com/dati/insonnia-e-problemi-del-sonno-in-italia
