OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of insomnia among five large European nations. METHODS: TNS Healthcare's European Healthcare Panel of individuals in France, Germany, Italy, UK and the Netherlands were surveyed in 2007 to assess disease burden at national level. The self-reported epidemiological data is representative of population gender and age (18-24,25-34,35-44,45-54,55-64,65-69yrs) strata in respective countries, ensured by sampling and intensive panel management. The survey collected information on select health conditions (incl. insomnia/sleeping-problems; in the past 12-months), quality of life and healthcare-utilization. RESULTS: Total of over 160,000 adult individuals in the European Healthcare Panel completed survey in the five European nations. Prevalence of Insomnia varied widely between these 5 nations, as follows (All, Male, Female, % individuals): Netherlands: 13.5%,9.2%,18.0%; Italy: 18.5%,13.3%,23.6%; U.K: 19.3%,14.7%,24.0%; Germany: 21.6%,16.2%,27.0%; France: 27.6%,19.9%,35.0%. Within each country, burden of Insomnia varied by age and gender; distribution among male (18-24,25-34,35-44,45-54,55-64,65+yrs: % pts) was: the Netherlands: 6.4%,8.5%,8.1%,10.9%,11.0%,8.9%; Italy: 11.1%,8.9%,12.6%,15.7%,16.1%,18.9%; U.K: 9.8%,10.8%,16.6%,18.1%,17.0%,12.9%; Germany: 12.8%,14.1%,17.1%,19.6%,18.0%,11.6%; France: 15.9%,17.8%,21.2%,24.0%,19.5%,18.9%; distribution among female (18-24,25-34,35-44,45-54,55-64,65+yrs: % pts) was: the Netherlands: 8.5%,12.5%,15.5%,23.7%,23.4%,25.6%; Italy: 16.9%,19.1%,22.4%,28.0%,27.2%,27.2%; U.K: 17.1%,18.2%,23.0%,30.1%,30.0%,24.8%; Germany: 23.3%,23.5%,26.5%,32.0%,27.6%,26.2%; France: 28.5%,29.6%,34.2%,39.9%,40.3%,37.2%. General Practitioners were the primary point of diagnosis and source of treatment, even though this statistic varied between the countries. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of insomnia appears to be substantial in the studied European nations, with France bearing the most burden (one-in-five and one-in-three males and females respectively in France suffered from this condition). Prevalence peaked among the 45-64 age-group across the countries. Females had substantially higher disease burden across the countries, amounting to as much as 1.5 to 2 times more than their male counterparts in certain age groups.