Introduction Hypnotics are one of the most prescribed drugs in the world and are related to several morbidity and mortality outcomes. Some risk factors such as sex, age, marital status, and also chronic pain e mental disorders have been described in medical papers. However, there are restrict data concerning the influence of occupational factors in the use of sleep drugs. Therefore this study aimed to evaluate the association between MSD and use of hypnotics in the Brazilian population.

Methods Cross-sectional study with secondary data from the PNS 2013. We used descriptive statistics to present exposure and outcome variables. Chi-square was proceeded to test differences between groups and Logistic Regression controlling for covariates was made to analyse the main association.

Results The general prevalence of hypnotics use was 7,1%. The prevalence was higher in women and in elder people, increasing according to the age. The general prevalence of MSD was 1,9%. Individuals with MSD presented 2 times higher prevalence of hypnotics use compared to controls, even after adjusting for covariates.

Disscussion When we consider the problem of the use of medication to sleep, it should be attempted to MSD as a possible risk factor and focus of intervention. New researches are necessary to better elucidate the role of musculoskeletal disorders in the hypnotics use.