Insomnia, one of the most common sleep disorders, is a condition where an individual finds it difficult to fall asleep, as well as stay asleep. But how common this disorder truly is?
Read on and find out!
What Percentage of the Population Has Insomnia?
According to statistics, 33–50% of the adult population experiences insomnia symptoms. Furthermore, as many as 10–15% of the population suffer from chronic insomnia disorder.
Exciting Facts and Stats about Insomnia
Insomnia affects millions of people worldwide, affecting their day-to-day lives, social relationships, as well as the ability to work.
Let’s take a look at the most important stats regarding its prevalence and effect on people’s lives.
30–35% of adults experience acute insomnia.
(AASM) (WebMD)
Acute insomnia’s duration ranges from one night to a few weeks.
About 10% of adults suffer from chronic insomnia disorder.
(AASM)
Chronic insomnia involves difficulty falling and staying asleep at least three nights per week for at least three months.
According to CDC’s data, 35.2% of US adults have under seven hours of short sleep at night.
(CDC) (Sleep Foundation)
Detroit, Michigan and Camden, New Jersey are the US cities with the highest percentage of adults who report short sleep duration (49.8%).
About 50% of older adults complain about difficulty falling and staying asleep.
(NCBI)
Furthermore, the prevalence of insomnia symptoms in the elderly amounts to 30–48%.
A report showed that over two-thirds of US high school students get less than eight hours of sleep on school nights.
(CDC)
The report also indicated that female students were more likely to get less sleep during school nights than male students.
But it wasn’t only gender that seemed to affect sleep duration.
The report also found differences between ages (9th graders had the lowest, while 12th graders had the highest short sleep duration) and race (American Indian/Alaska Native students showed the lowest, while Asian students showed the highest short sleep duration prevalence).
Over 60% of individuals with heartburn report this condition has a negative effect on their sleep.
(NCBI) (Sleep Foundation)
Nighttime heartburn is a common occurrence in GERD patients.
There are several reasons for this:
- When they lie down, gravity no longer holds stomach acid down.
- Swallowing is reduced during sleep, so it’s easier for stomach acid to come up.
- The production of saliva that helps neutralize acid is reduced during deep sleep.
Women with PMS are twice as likely to suffer from insomnia before and during the menstrual period than women who don’t have PMS.
(Sleep Foundation)
Insomnia, as well as hypersomnia (sleeping too much), are common PMS symptoms.
Highly sleep-deprived employees are 70% more likely to have work-related accidents than those who sleep normally.
(NCBI)
Those with chronic insomnia were also found to be more likely to report work-related injuries. Furthermore, individuals with sleep disturbances are twice as likely to die in work-related accidents.
An estimated 40% of people with insomnia also have a mental health disorder.
(NCBI)
The most common mental health disorders associated with insomnia include depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia.
Individuals who binge drink up to two days a week have a 35% higher chance of developing insomnia than non-binge drinkers.
(NCBI)
The odds are even higher for those who binge drink more than two days a week — 64%.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, insomnia seems to be on the rise. Therefore, much attention needs to be paid to preventing and treating this sleep disorder to avoid it turning into a global menace.
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