Sleep Problems

Sleep problems are more common than you think, with 10-30% of adults having insomnia globally. Research also shows that sleep problems are commonest in older adults, females, and people with medical and mental ill health.

Another problem is low sleep duration, with 35% of adults sleeping less than seven hours per night – less than the eight-to-nine-hour recommendation. This is a common theme in all countries, especially the US, UK, and Europe.

This article explores the latest sleep problem statistics from around the world, with no statistics dating beyond 2016.

Let’s jump in!

Insomnia and insufficient sleep statistics

Insomnia is difficulty falling and staying asleep, with sleepless nights a widespread occurrence. There are four types of insomnia and seven common causes. Here are the latest statistics on insomnia:

• As many as 16 million UK adults have sleepless nights (Aviva)
• 45% of people get less than 5 hours of sleep every night (Sleep Reset)
• 14% of the British adult population gets under five hours of sleep (Direct Line)
• Between 30% and 48% of older adults have insomnia (PubMed)
• Between 10% and 30% of adults struggle with chronic insomnia (PubMed)
• Around 40% of people with insomnia have a mental health disorder (MSD Manual)
• Around 75% of adults with depression have insomnia (MSD Manual)
• Short sleep duration is associated with an increased risk of chronic disease and subsequent multimorbidity (PLOS Medicine)

Sleep apnea statistics

People with apnea stop and start breathing while sleeping, with the gap between breaths sometimes exceeding thirty seconds. There are several causes of sleep apnea and several potential treatments. Here are the latest statistics:

• 15-30% of males and 10-30% of females meet the broad definition of obstructive sleep apnea (PubMed)
• Almost 1% of adults over 40 years old experience central sleep apnea (PubMed)
• Approximately 3% to 7% of men and around 2% to 5% of women in the US have been diagnosed with sleep apnea (CDC)
• Up to 4 million people have moderate or severe OSA with excessive sleepiness during waking hours (Sleep Apnoea Trust)

Restless leg syndrome (RLS) statistics

RLS is an uncomfortable sensation in your legs that forces you to keep moving and shifting them. Sometimes, the sensation is painful and irritating, caused by messages between the brain and nervous system breaking down. Here are the latest statistics:

• RLS is estimated to affect one in five pregnant women (PubMed)
• RLS prevalence varies between 3.9% and 14.3% depending on the population studied and the criteria (Frontiers)
• RLS affects between 1.5% and 2.7% of the British population (RLS UK)
• RLS affects an estimated 5% to 10% of adults and 2% to 4% of children in the United States (Medline Plus)

Sleep improvement statistics

Several ways to improve sleep quality include reducing caffeine and limiting exposure to blue light. Exercising more can also help you sleep better. Here are the latest scientific revelations on sleep improvement:

• Resistance exercise improves all aspects of sleep (PubMed)
• Exercise improves sleep quality in older adults (BMJ Journals)
• Caffeine impacts sleep up to six hours after consumption (NIH)
• Blocking nocturnal blue light can help treat insomnia (NIH)
• Wearing blue light filter glasses can improve sleep quality (APA PsycNet)
• Melatonin supplementation can improve primary and comorbid insomnia in adults (NIH)
• Adults with higher vitamin B12 have better quality sleep, with B12 necessary to produce the sleep hormone melatonin (NIH)

What do the statistics tell us?

The statistics show that sleep problems are common, with insomnia being the commonest sleep disorder globally.

The statistics also tell us that you are more likely to have sleep problems if you have a mental health disorder. Sleep problems are common in people with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and bipolar. People with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder – a type of depression) are also more likely to have sleep problems.

If you enjoyed this article, read our piece on how idleness can cause sleep problems.