Addressing Rising Insomnia Rates in the United States

Last week, the Alliance for Sleep committee announced new data from the largest sleep-based survey in the US, which found that 70% of people with trouble sleeping due to insomnia were “desperate to find a solution”. Insomnia affects approximately 25 million adults in the US, and is partially responsible for the roughly $7 billion spent annually on products or sleep aids such as blackout curtains, eye masks, and white noise machines. Findings from Wake Up America: The Night & Day Impact of Insomnia survey put in to sharp focus the complications of insomnia, which includ a notable lack of discussions being had among patients and providers regarding sleep health. According to the survey, only 66% of primary care physicians reported frequently asking about sleep during routine visits, and only 27% of patients with trouble sleeping reported that their doctors asked about their sleep during every visit. Co-chair of The Alliance for Sleep committee Dr. Ruth Benca spoke of how the survey results could provide Americans with wake up call regarding insomnia prevalence and  improve upon the conversations between patients and healthcare providers.