# Insomnia, RLS & instruments: what the research actually says

Insomnia, restless legs and the validated instruments used to measure them — plus what treatment guidelines actually recommend first.



## All studies

- **European guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia** — Riemann D, Baglioni C, Bassetti C, et al. (2017), Journal of Sleep Research 26(6):675–700. CBT-I is first-line treatment; hypnotics only short term.

- **Management of chronic insomnia disorder in adults: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians** — Qaseem A, Kansagara D, Forciea MA, Cooke M, Denberg TD (2016), Annals of Internal Medicine 165(2):125–133. Strong recommendation: all adults with chronic insomnia receive CBT-I as initial treatment.

- **Restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease diagnostic criteria: updated International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) consensus criteria** — Allen RP, Picchietti DL, Garcia-Borreguero D, et al. (2014), Sleep Medicine 15(8):860–873. The four essential criteria plus 'not solely accounted for by another condition' used in the RLS screen.

- **Validation of the Insomnia Severity Index as an outcome measure for insomnia research** — Bastien CH, Vallières A, Morin CM (2001), Sleep Medicine 2(4):297–307. The 7-item ISI; ≥15 indicates clinical insomnia.

- **Horne & Östberg morningness-eveningness questionnaire: a reduced scale** — Adan A, Almirall H (1991), Personality and Individual Differences 12(3):241–253. The 5-item rMEQ chronotype scale used in the Check tab.

- **A new method for measuring daytime sleepiness: the Epworth sleepiness scale** — Johns MW (1991), Sleep 14(6):540–545. The 8-item Epworth scale; ≥11 suggests excessive daytime sleepiness.

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Educational summary of published research, not medical advice. Screening scores are not diagnoses. If a score is elevated or you feel unwell, talk to a clinician.

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