Assessment of Prevalence of Insomnia in Adolescents and Young Adults in Kenya

Insomnia, a pervasive sleep disturbance, is marked by problems falling or staying asleep, poor-quality sleep, significant distress, and daytime functioning impairment. Adolescence and early adulthood are sensitive developmental phases where adolescents and young adults are more prone to sleep disturbances. Adolescents and young adults in Kenya are significantly endangered by insomnia, lethargy and daytime impairments that it often accompanies it.  This constitutes a serious risk to the public’s health. The current sought to gauge the incidence of insomnia in adolescents and young adults in St. Paul’s Catholic University Chapel, Nairobi County, Kenya. A correlational research design was used. The study’s target demographic consisted of 4000 teenagers and young adults from St. Paul’s University Chapel in Nairobi, Kenya. A sample of 101 respondents was used. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires. Insomnia was assessed using the Insomnia Severity Index. Descriptive and chi-square analysis were used to analyse data with the aid of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Results were presented in form of tables. A majority of the respondents (43%) struggle to fall or stay asleep most of the time, 22.2% had mild difficulty in falling asleep, 16.7% had a moderate problem falling asleep, and 3.3% experienced severe and very severe problems falling asleep. Gender was significantly associated (p=0.006) with insomnia whereby female adolescents were 2.4 times more likely to experience insomnia compared with male respondents. These results underscore the need for targeted interventions, particularly for female adolescents, to address this sleep disorder, which may have far-reaching effects on mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being. It is recommended that healthcare providers, educators, and policymakers prioritize sleep health in this demographic by incorporating sleep education into school curriculums.