Review for 10.1186/s12876-019-0945-9 (2019)

Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Association between digestive symptoms and sleep disturbance: a cross -sectional  
community -based study  
 
Version: 1 Date: 12 Sep 2018  
 
Reviewer: Liping Duan  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
This study reveals the possible association between Digestive symptoms and sleep disturbances 
by conducting a cross -sectional study of 5,792 subjects s urveyed in the community -based cohort. 
A few minor revision are list below.  
 
BACKGROUND  
 
What does the sentence "Furthermore, we are aware of no studies that have examined the 
influence of sleep disturbances and specific digestive symptoms" mean? Depending  on the 
context, interaction may be more appropriate rather than influence.  
 
PATIENTS AND METHODS  
 
Participants  
The author should explain the reasons for excluding any participants in detail. The results section 
may be more suitable.  
 
The English of your manuscript needs improving.  
Such as:  Our finding of the specific digestive symptom related to sleep disturbance will be help 
Chinese and Korean medicine doctor effectively diagnose and manage patients with sleep 
disturbance.  
         Additionally, 11.19% and 62.15% of the sleep disturbance group were of smokers and 
exercised, respectively.  
         The higher risk for females than males was consistent with the results of our study, but the 
risk observed for the elderly risk was opposit e that opposite to that of our study.  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If no t, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I recommend additional statistical review  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Needs some language corrections before being published  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain  or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to al l of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that i have no competing interests  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my nam e will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
responses. I agree for my report to be made availabl e under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will no t be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal