All over the world, people suffer from the inability to get to sleep or stay asleep. This is what we call insomnia, and it can cause many issues in a person’s daily life.
The following insomnia statistics will give you some crucial information on this common sleep disorder.
You will find out about sleep-related issues worldwide, the prevalence of insomnia in the United States, the insomnia demographics, the types of insomnia, and how to deal with it.
Furthermore, you’ll read who suffers from insomnia, what it entails, how it can affect people, and what to do if you suffer from this sleep disorder.
So what are you waiting for? Let’s get down to understanding the ins and outs of insomnia.
The Top 10 Insomnia and Sleep Statistics
- 36% of UK adults say that they have trouble initiating sleep at least once every week
- People with insomnia are 28% more likely to develop type-2 diabetes
- 50-70 million US adults have a sleep disorder
- 25% of US citizens develop acute insomnia each year
- About 80% of women experience insomnia during pregnancy
- 4-6% of the global population has hypersomnia
- 10-40% of shift workers develop shift work sleep disorder (SWSD)
- Lack of sleep costs the US an estimated $411 billion yearly in lost productivity
- 75% of patients with depression also have insomnia
- Tryptophan, ginkgo biloba, and L-theanine are all supplements that are believed to help with sleep
Sleep Disorders: Statistics on Their Worldwide Prevalence
There is no denying how beneficial sleep is to our overall health. But what happens to people that aren’t getting enough sleep?
\According to insomnia statistics for 2021, inadequate sleep can affect an individual’s mood, weight, health, and hormone levels. Also, changes in sleeping patterns, quality, or quantity of sleep can harm one’s health.
Insomnia statistics in the COVID-19 era reveal that globally, millions of people suffer from various sleep disorders caused by several factors such as stress, untreated health issues, etc.
If you are experiencing a lack of good sleep more frequently than usual, this might be a good pointer for you to visit your physician to know if you are suffering from any sleep disorder before it starts to affect your health.
So, what percentage of the population has insomnia? Read on and find out.
We will take you through some of the most widespread worldwide statistics on sleep deprivation, highlighting how big a problem it has become to the world at large.
1. 59% of people worldwide have a sleep schedule that they stick to every day.
(Statista)
This is according to statistics taken from certain countries from all over the world.
2. Around 80% of people from various countries around the world want to improve their sleep.
(Statista)
This means that a large majority of people believe that their sleep patterns are inadequate.
3. 36% of UK adults say that they have trouble initiating sleep at least once every week.
(Formulate Health)
Insomnia statistics from 2019 show that 1 in 5 UK adults admit that they have trouble falling asleep each night. To add to that, nearly half of the UK population agree to find it difficult to fall asleep at least once each month.
Also, women are more likely to have trouble falling asleep compared to men in the UK.
What age group does insomnia affect the most?
People aged 45-54 have difficulty falling asleep the most compared to other age groups. According to reports, two-thirds of this age bracket reportedly find it difficult to fall asleep at least once monthly. Insomnia statistics in the world from 2019 inform us that 55% of young UK adults aged 18-24 are reportedly finding it difficult to fall asleep at least once every month.
4. According to data from the Sleep Cycle app, New Zealand is the country that gets the most amount of sleep.
(World Economic Forum)
Insomnia statistics show that the average person living in New Zealand gets around seven and a half hours of sleep every night. Other countries that rank high on the amount of sleep their citizens get are the Netherlands, Finland, Australia, Belgium, and the UK.
5. Japan and South Korea are the countries where the inhabitants have the worst sleep.
(World Economic Forum)
In Japan, there is even a name specifically for dying from not getting enough sleep; it’s called “karoshi” in Japanese.
6. People with insomnia are 28% more likely to develop type-2 diabetes.
(NCBI) (SleepFoundation.org)
According to credible insomnia facts, insomnia can lead to type-2 diabetes. Type-2 diabetes is a chronic disease and the most prevalent form of diabetes that develops due to the body’s resistance to insulin. Insulin, in its case, is a hormone that assists in the transfer of glucose from the blood to the body’s cells for energy generation.
Type-2 diabetes occurs when the body has trouble producing enough insulin needed by its cells or when the insulin being produced by the body has difficulty moving glucose to the cells of the body. This allows for the buildup of glucose in the body, leading to high blood sugar.
According to credible facts on insomnia, the relationship between type-2 diabetes and insomnia is that high blood sugar can lead to frequent urination (during sleep hours), thereby disrupting the sleep cycle. High blood sugar may also cause tiredness, headaches, increased thirst, all of which can interfere with sleep.
Insomnia Statistics in America
Indeed, we now live in a fast-paced world – one where improved technology and the internet have contributed to an increase in sedentary lifestyle, increased rate of obesity, and numerous other health concerns. Most of these significantly affect our sleep patterns.
With America being a great nation and offering a booming economy, people tend to spend so much time trying to achieve their other goals, forgetting how beneficial a good long night’s sleep can be to their overall health.
Let’s look at some of the well-known facts about insomnia in America to understand better how the country responds to this silent epidemic.
7. Around 35% of people sleep for less than seven hours every night.
(The Recovery Village)
Seven hours of sleep every night is the least recommended amount for adults.
Hopefully, this answers the question, what percent of the population is sleep deprived in America?
8. 18 million adult Americans have sleep apnea.
(Start Sleeping) (CDC)
Sleep apnea is a type of sleep disorder that causes its victims to experience pauses in their breathing while asleep. You have sleep apnea if you snore loudly, gasp for air during sleep, feel spent during the day, or wake up with a headache.
Overweight people are at a higher risk of developing sleep apnea due to blockage of their airways by excess body fat. According to CDC reports on insomnia statistics, the high rate of obesity in America is the primary reason for the prevalence of sleep apnea amongst US adults.
9. It would appear that sleeping less than the desired amount is linked to a person’s age.
(The Recovery Village)
Around 37% of those aged between 20 and 39 say they experience a low duration of sleep, while 40% of those aged between 40 and 59 claim that they are getting too little sleep.
10. 50-70 million US adults have a sleep disorder.
(Sleep Association)
According to the statistics for insomnia in America, 48.0% of US adults suffer from snoring. Another 37.9% claimed to have unintentionally fallen asleep during the daytime on one or more days in the past month.
What’s more, 4.7% admitted to falling asleep or nodding off while driving at least once in the preceding month.
As an adult, it is understandable that responsibilities might cause you to work twice as hard as you are supposed to. Nonetheless, this shouldn’t be done at the expense of a good night’s sleep.
11. Sleep deprivation statistics in America show that around 10% of people have insomnia to the degree where it affects their daily activities.
(SleepFoundation.org)
Lack of sleep can cause many physical and cognitive issues, especially after a prolonged period.
As opposed to the acute variant, chronic insomnia is a more severe form of insomnia that usually lasts for months or seven years if not properly treated.
According to sleep deprivation statistics worldwide, a person has chronic insomnia if he/she experiences difficulty sleeping at least three nights a week for more than 90 days. For acute insomnia, it is diagnosed when one experiences trouble sleeping at least three nights a week, spanning from 2 consecutive weeks to up to 90 days.
Treatment of chronic insomnia often requires drastic measures such as psychotherapy, lifestyle change, and many more. On the other hand, acute insomnia is often caused by stress and will usually disappear once the stressor is removed or once the body adjusts to the new routine.
Data highlighting how many people have insomnia prove acute insomnia to be more common than chronic insomnia, with around 75% of its victims returning to their regular sleep routines. Also, research shows that 95% of Americans have experienced one episode of insomnia in their lives, even if it was just once.
12. Around 164 million people in the United States have issues with sleep at least once in the space of a week.
(Consumer Reports)
That works out to 68% of American adults who have trouble sleeping. That’s a large part of the population in the United States, which shows just how common this sleep disorder is.
Insomnia Demographics
Different age groups and nations respond to insomnia in diverse ways. We know that sleep plays an integral role in our health and how a good night’s sleep empowers our immune system. However, not everyone can get the needed amount of sleep that their body needs, owing to age, medical condition, mental health, stress, etc.
While insomnia can affect almost anyone at any age, some are statistically more prone to this particular sleep disorder.
We selected some random facts about insomnia from all around the world that will show you which demographics are more likely to suffer from this condition.
13. Women, in general, have a more challenging time falling asleep and staying asleep than men.
(SleepFoundation.org)
This resulted from a 2005 study that showed that more women than men struggle with sleep at least a few nights out of a week. These insomnia statistics show us the prevalence of the disorder according to gender.
14. About 80% of women experience insomnia during pregnancy.
(NCBI) (Medical News Today)
When a woman is pregnant (especially during the third trimester), finding a comfortable sleeping position can become such a heinous task. In this period, you will find most pregnant women suffering from insomnia due to several factors. Worldwide insomnia statistics for 2021 show some of these causes include discomfort due to the increased size of the abdomen, anxiety, back pain, frequent urination during the night, etc.
15. Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders had the highest rate of a short duration of sleep in general, with a prevalence of 46.3%.
(CDC)
Non-Hispanic blacks had a prevalence of 45.8%, multiracial non-Hispanics had a prevalence of 44.3%, and American Indians/Alaska Natives had a prevalence of 40.4%.
16. Short sleep is responsible for 3-5% of the overall proportion of obesity in adults.
(NCBI)
The same sleep statistics report also indicates that 5%-13% of the total proportion of obesity in children can be attributed to short sleep.
17. Non-Hispanic whites had the least prevalence of short duration of sleep at around 33.4%.
(CDC)
Hispanics had a slightly higher rate of 34.5%, and Asians were slightly higher than that, at 37.5%.
Types of Insomnia: Facts and Statistics
Depending on what is causing your insomnia, your condition can be acute/short-term or chronic. The effects of acute insomnia are short, and it can affect both children and adults alike. Chronic insomnia, on the other hand, stays around for more extended periods. However, in some cases, acute insomnia can also lead to the chronic form.
Read on to find out more statistics on insomnia alongside reports on its different forms.
18. Around 10–30% of babies or children have behavioral insomnia.
(American Academy of Sleep Medicine)
It can be caused by either the child associating sleep with an action that is being halted (like having a bottle and that bottle no longer being given) or the child lacking a strict bedtime schedule.
19. Insomnia can arise due to a medical condition, substance use, or mental illness.
(American Academy of Sleep Medicine)
Insomnia is more likely to be found in a person who has a psychological disorder than any alternative medical condition, according to the vast majority of the insomnia statistics in the world. This is why you will find many people living with depression will have sleep issues.
20. 4-6% of the global population has hypersomnia.
(Start Sleeping) (Healthline)
Hypersomnia, also known as excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), is a condition where one feels extremely sleepy during the day. It is further grouped into primary and secondary hypersomnia.
Primary hypersomnia occurs in the absence of other medical conditions. The only known symptom is excessive fatigue.
Secondary hypersomnia, in its case, results from other medical conditions such as sleep apnea, kidney failure, Parkinson’s disease. According to insomnia disorder statistics, these health conditions can contribute to a poor night’s sleep, leading to fatigue and excessive sleepiness during the day.
21. Idiopathic insomnia affects someone for their entire life, starting in childhood.
(American Academy of Sleep Medicine)
0.7% of teenagers or children suffer from this, and 1% of young adults suffer from this form of insomnia.
22. Short-term or acute insomnia, otherwise known as adjustment insomnia, only lasts a few days or weeks and results from direct stress.
(American Academy of Sleep Medicine)
If you look at these interesting facts about insomnia, you’ll see that you’re more likely to suffer from this type of insomnia if you’re a woman and if you’re older than a teenager or child.
23. 10-40% of shift workers develop shift work sleep disorder (SWSD).
(Cleveland Clinic) (NCBI)
Because the world now runs on a 24/7 basis, shift work has become a vital component of the modern economy. Facts on insomnia show that nearly one in five employees in the US work some form of nontraditional shift. However, there are negative health consequences associated with shift work, and one of them is the shift work sleep disorder (SWSD)–also known as shift work disorder (SWD). SWSD is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder characterized by insomnia or excessive sleepiness, leading to decreased productivity in a worker.
24. Inadequate sleep hygiene is a form of insomnia caused by practices that disrupt sleep or prevent it.
(American Academy of Sleep Medicine)
This form of insomnia was found in 5–10% of people studied in a sleep clinic. It’s estimated that it affects 1–2% of young people from childhood to early adulthood.
25. One of the fun facts about insomnia is that it can ironically be caused by stressing about the lack of sleep, which is called psychophysiological insomnia.
(American Academy of Sleep Medicine)
It’s estimated that around 1–2% of people experience this form of insomnia.
26. 51% of patients with delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (DSWPD) have had a history of depression in the past.
(Start Sleeping)
Top facts about insomnia define DSWPD as a type of sleep disorder that causes its victims to sleep later than usual and wake up later than expected.
Reports on DSWPD show that it has to do with problems with an individual’s internal clock. Say your regular sleep time is 8 p.m., and you happen to suffer from DSWPD; you will find yourself sleeping later than 8 p.m. most of the time until your condition is diagnosed and adequately treated.
Furthermore, DSWPD can happen to anyone, even in cases of exhaustion. It has also been shown to affect people of all ages and gender, as seen in recent sleep statistics.
27. Paradoxical insomnia is where someone feels as though they are experiencing severe insomnia, but no evidence can be identified as a disturbance of sleep.
(American Academy of Sleep Medicine)
It’s estimated that less than 5% of people taking part in clinical sleep studies for insomnia suffer from this type.
Insomnia Facts
When it comes to insomnia, several myths tend to drift away from the actual facts. We understand that not everyone comprehends the conditions associated with insomnia. As such, we have taken the time to fish out some of the most sought-after facts and statistics of insomnia for your perusal. Let’s jump right into them.
28. A lack of sleep can lead to impaired cognition.
(NCBI) (Healthline) (SleepFoundation.org)
Cognition is a broad term that encompasses your ability to acquire knowledge by thinking, memorizing, calculating, concentrating, and sensing whatever is going on around your environment.
You will often find sleep-deprived individuals complaining of feeling a brain fog. This is because a lack of sleep slows down your thought processes, causing you to react more slowly to happenings around you.
That’s not all. A lack of sleep also affects your concentration and your attention span, causing you to remain confused. Sleep statistics from 2018 show that your short-term memory can be affected as well, as the nerve connections needed for proper memory functioning are strengthened during sleep.
29. Stress is just one of the causes of insomnia.
(Mayo Clinic)
The latest insomnia statistics show other causes to include a working or travel regimen that disrupts your circadian rhythms, poor sleep hygiene, and overeating late at night.
30. Lack of sleep costs the US an estimated $411 billion yearly in lost productivity.
(RAND)
This is what happens when you lose a whopping 1.23 million working days yearly to a lack of good sleep.
In Japan, approximately 604,000 working days are lost yearly due to lack of sleep, resulting in a total loss of $138 billion annually.
Germany and the UK follow closely at 209,000 and 207,000 lost working days, respectively.
Also, facts about insomnia have it that people that have less than 6 hours to sleep have their mortality rates heightened by 10% compared to those who sleep between 7 to 9 hours daily.
31. Sleep can be disrupted at higher altitudes due to lower oxygen levels and the resulting respiratory changes.
(SleepFoundation.org)
This is relevant for altitudes of 13,200 feet and higher. It can take around two or three weeks to adjust to new altitudes.
32. One in four women suffers from insomnia symptoms.
(OWH) (SleepHub)
There are several reasons why women suffer more from insomnia than their male counterparts. The number one reason is hormonal fluctuations.
For example, just before menstruation, progesterone levels are known to fluctuate, resulting in difficulty falling asleep because progesterone is known to promote sleep.
Also, proven facts of people with insomnia show that during the latter stages of pregnancy (especially your third trimester), you may find it difficult to fall asleep due to constant urination and increased abdomen size.
Women may also find it difficult to fall asleep when they hit menopause age. Menopause can cause hot flashes and night sweats which can significantly disrupt your sleep.
33. There is a range of symptoms of insomnia, including but not limited to struggling to fall asleep at night.
(Mayo Clinic)
Other symptoms include waking up in the middle of the night, early morning waking, feeling unrested after sleep, depression, anxiety, irritability, feeling sleepy or exhausted the next day, limited attention span, worrying about sleep, and making mistakes or errors during the day.
34. Around 24-36% of insomnia patients have an anxiety disorder.
(NCBI)
Insomnia statistics on anxiety show that anxiety is a common condition for both insomnia and hypersomnia patients.
This is because the inability to fall asleep brings about panic, anxiousness, and overthinking, thereby leading to anxiety attacks and possibly depression.
An estimated 60% to 70% of patients with a general anxiety disorder (GAD) have insomnia.
35. People in their adult years who sleep for generally less than seven hours a night are more likely to suffer from obesity.
(CDC)
They are also more likely to be inactive during daytime hours, and many who were surveyed also claimed to be smokers at the time.
36. 75% of patients with depression also have insomnia.
(NCBI) (WebMD)
Insomnia statistics on depression from 2020 show that as many as 80% of people with depression have trouble falling asleep.
Hypersomnia, insomnia, and a few others are some of the sleep disorders commonly associated with depression.
Generally, insomnia patients are more than three times likely to develop depression.
A loss of sleep can lead to overthinking, anxiousness, and ultimately, anxiety. These preconditions listed above are the breeding ground for depression.
Some weird insomnia facts claim that insomnia can be considered a signal for depression as it often shows up before a depression attack.
37. 9 in 10 post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients have insomnia.
(SleepFoundation.org)
A chronically heightened state of arousal characterizes PTSD following a traumatic event (e.g., war, rape, etc.). Insomnia and PTSD facts show that people with PTSD have trouble sleeping due to an internally damaged body clock. What’s more, PTSD is known to get worse over time if left untreated.
To make matters worse, many people are unaware of their PTSD condition and do not bother seeking help until the situation becomes unbearable.
The most prevalent sleep problems in PTSD patients include nightmares & night terrors, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
How Do I Cure My Insomnia?
Insomnia can have a profound impact on the health of a patient. Understanding its causes and how to prevent it is a significant leap towards searching for a solution for your insomnia.
Insomnia treatment may include psychotherapy or nonmedical therapy (e.g., cultivating better sleep habits), and in a few cases, medications.
Credible facts on insomnia reveal there is no single approach for treating all forms of insomnia. The best treatment approach for insomnia involves the understanding of individual conditions. In cases where a medical condition is the cause of your insomnia, it is advised to treat such a condition first.
Here, we take you through some fascinating treatment procedures to diagnose insomnia that would hopefully help eradicate your symptoms of insomnia.
38. Six types of natural remedies can help with insomnia.
(Healthline)
They are melatonin, magnesium, valerian root, lavender, glycine, and passionflower.
39. Tryptophan, ginkgo biloba, and L-theanine are all supplements believed to help with sleep.
(Healthline)
However, these do need more scientific research to prove whether supplements definitely work to help ease insomnia symptoms.
40. Certain foods that will help you sleep better at night are complex carbohydrates, cottage cheese, and nuts.
(SleepFoundation.org)
Other foods that also aid in better sleep are certain fruits (including kiwifruit, bananas, cherries, and oranges), warm milk, and non-caffeinated teas like chamomile or ginger tea.
FAQs
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is a difficulty with either falling asleep or staying asleep. There are many different causes of insomnia, as well as types of insomnia. But the results are the same, the benefits of sleep are taken away from the person, and they feel tired, perhaps irritable, suffer from a lack of energy, have mood swings, and struggle to concentrate.
Lack of sleep can negatively influence the way a person lives, and you can see insomnia affecting work, personal life, and enjoyment of daily activities. The data on sleep and the sleep statistics show how an adult needs at least seven hours of sound sleep a night to function optimally.
How many people suffer from insomnia?
Sleeplessness facts show that around one out of every four Americans will experience insomnia in a year. That works out to around 25% of the United States population struggling to either get to sleep or stay asleep.
While this may be a scary statistic, it has been proven that around 75% of those who experience insomnia will go back to having a healthy sleeping pattern eventually with no long-term side effects.
What country sleeps the most?
New Zealand gets the most sleep, according to an app that measures sleep on a global level. Those living in New Zealand get around seven and a half hours of sleep or more every night. It’s recommended that adults get around at least seven hours of sleep a night.
Other countries that get a lot of sleep are Finland, Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. Countries that get the least amount of sleep include Japan and South Korea.
How is insomnia diagnosed?
Insomnia is diagnosed in many ways. First of all, the doctor or nurse will likely go through your medical history, which requires you to be fully honest about any medical conditions you may have experienced in the past. Then they will also go through your sleep history, looking at your sleeping patterns.
Once they’ve gone through your histories, they will likely do a physical exam to look for any physical reasons for your sleeping issues. Finally, they might suggest that you join a sleep study if they feel that it will help you.
Conclusion
The above insomnia statistics should have given you some good insight into the most common sleep disorder in the world.
You should understand its prevalence throughout the world, how common it is in the United States, and why people are affected.
You should also know what foods can help you sleep better at night and what supplements to consider taking to help with insomnia.
Sources:
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine
- CDC
- Cleveland Clinic
- Consumer Reports
- Formulate Health
- Healthline
- Healthline
- Healthline
- Healthline
- Mayo Clinic
- Medical News Today
- MedicineNet
- Medscape
- National Institute of Health
- NCBI
- NCBI
- NCBI
- NCBI
- NCBI
- NCBI
- OWH
- Penn Today
- RAND
- ScienceDaily
- SleepFoundation.org
- SleepFoundation.org
- SleepFoundation.org
- SleepFoundation.org
- SleepFoundation.org
- SleepFoundation.org
- SleepFoundation.org
- SleepHub
- Sleep Association
- Start Sleeping
- Statista
- The Recovery Village
- WebMD
- WebMD
- World Economic Forum
