New research suggests that individuals with chronic insomnia have an elevated risk of death.

Scientists surveyed 2,242 participants in the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study for their findings. Participants completed two to three mailed surveys for years 1989, 1994 and 2000. Participants were considered to have chronic insomnia if they reported insomnia symptoms on at least two of the surveys.

Results indicate that the adjusted hazard ratio for all-cause mortality was three times higher in people with chronic insomnia than in people without insomnia.

When examining individual subtypes of insomnia, the risk of death was elevated, regardless of which subtype people reported. Individuals at an increased risk of death included those with chronic early-awakening insomnia, chronic sleep-maintenance insomnia (difficulty getting back to sleep), chronic sleep-onset insomnia (difficulty falling asleep), and chronic sleep-maintenance insomnia (awakening repeatedly during the night).

Researchers say their results emphasize the need for physicians to provide effective treatments for insomnia even in the absence of co-morbid health problems.

Among the vitamins and supplements believed to help aid in sleep are calcium, magnesium, vitamins B6 and B12, inositol, chromium, tryptophan, serotonin and melatonin, according to Holistic Online.