Blackmores Institute

The study of 2019 participants, representative of the Australian population in age, gender, and state of residence who completed the online survey found that the profile of complementary medicine (CM) users with sleep disorders (SD) was different to those without sleep disorders (Non-SD). Specifically, those with sleep disorders were less likely to be in the paid workforce or in a relationship and more likely to have financial stresses and comorbid conditions. “A significantly greater proportion of participants in the SD group reported financial difficulty (74% vs 57% in the Non-SD group, p &lt; 0.001) and there were significant differences in the marital status, socioeconomic status between the SD and Non-SD groups with less than half of those in the SD group (43.3%) in the paid work force compared to 58.8% in the Non-SD group (p &lt; 0.001),” the researchers explained. The study also found the most prevalent comorbidity amongst the SD group was a mood disorder (57.4%) followed by anxiety disorder (56.6%) and a statistically significant difference was observed between SD CM vs Non-SD CM groups for health-related quality of life. Results also showed that 97percent of participants in the SD group had consulted a general practitioner in the previous 12 months compared to 85.5 percent in the Non-SD group, (p &lt; 0.001). Amongst allied health practitioners, 89 percent of the SD group participants reported consulting community pharmacists for support compared to 74.6 percent in the Non-SD group, (p &lt; 0.001). “Of the various CM practitioners, the SD group consulted, massage therapists (28.3%) and chiropractors (23.4%) were the most often consulted followed by acupuncturists (13.6%) and yoga teachers (12.6%) and in terms of CM products, 92.5 percent of SD participants reported using prescription medicines followed by vitamins and mineral supplements (60.4%) with the level of usage of these products significantly higher than in the Non- SD group. (p &lt; 0.001),” the authors reported. The study suggests that collectively, financial stress, the presence of comorbid conditions, and a low health-related quality of life indicate that CM users with sleep disorders are in fact a more vulnerable group compared to general CM users without sleep disorders. This, according to the researchers, warrants an integrated treatment model and to ensure that naturopathic/ complementary treatment providers have adequate and up to date clinical knowledge and open referral/communication pathways so that patients at ‘high risk’ are referred back to their conventional medical practitioner. “Participants with sleep disorders using CMs also appeared to have a higher rate of consultation with conventional practitioners and spent more on a combination of CM products/services as well as prescription products. In some cases, the concomitant use of both types of treatment may pose risks in terms of drug-herb interactions. Despite several challenges associated with integrated treatment model, considering the ever-increasing awareness and use of CM, it is time to explore, acknowledge and integrate patient preferred treatment modalities in treatment plan. “Regardless of the drivers of CM use, the use of CM products and services by people with sleep disorders is likely to be part of a complex clinical picture which may pose a number of risks related to the quality, efficacy, and safety of the patient treatment. It may also provide insights into an under-researched area where complementary medicine treatment approaches for sleep disorders is worthy of closer examination,” the authors concluded. Source:
 Malhotra V, et.al.: The prevalence and characteristics of complementary medicine use by Australians living with sleep disorders – Results of a cross-sectional study. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aimed.2019.02.002 " target="_blank">Advances in Integrative Medicine</a><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aimed.2019.02.002 " target="_blank"> 7 (2020) 14–22</a>

Australian researchers are calling for integrated approaches to manage sleep disorders following the results of their study showing that a high proportion of people with sleep disorders use complementary medicines compared to those without a sleep disorder.

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