Table 1 Prevalence of sleep disorders in 1986 men aged 55–69 years in the Caerphilly cohort. (Men who had had a stroke or a myocardial infarct omitted).

Symptom		Numbers* of men without the symptom, or the symptom only occasionally	Numbers* of men (%) with the symptom
Insomnia: difficulty in getting to sleep and waking repeatedly once or twice a week, or more often.		1654	219 (12)
Restlesslegs: experiencing “restless legs or bothersome twitches” once or twice a week or more.		1444	427 (23)
Snoring: having been told, and being aware oneself of snoring on a few nights per month or more		1190	665 (36)
Sleep apnoea: having been told of gasping, choking or snorting on one night each week or more, and/or stopping breathing or breathing abnormally a few nights each month or more; and/or waking suddenly with a feeling of gasping or choking on a few nights each month or more		1499	352 (19)
Daytime sleepiness†: feeling today a little foggy, or slowed down, or loosing the struggle; and/or, at least once a week not feeling rested and/or feeling excessive sleepiness and/or a need for coffee or other stimulant		1287	587 (31)

*Numbers for the different symptoms differ slightly because some men did not answer all the questions. †Daytime sleepiness is shown separately as it is a consequence of any of the above.