More than 1.3 million people in Korea received treatment for sleep disorders such as insomnia last year, data showed. That is an increase of about 26% over five years.
According to data submitted by Rep. Nam In-soon's office on the Health and Welfare Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) on the 12th, the number of patients who received National Health Insurance-covered care last year for nonorganic sleep disorders (disease classification code F51) or sleep disorders (G47) totaled 1,308,383.
By sex and age group, older women ranked high. Women in their 60s accounted for the largest share at 179,319, followed by women in their 50s at 139,987 and women in their 70s at 126,514.
Rounding out fourth to sixth were men in their 60s at 122,944, men in their 50s at 104,737, and men in their 70s at 97,950. Boys under age 10 numbered 1,826 and girls under age 10 numbered 1,154, the lowest.
The number of sleep disorder patients in Korea is on the rise. The figures increased steadily over five years: 1,037,396 in 2020, 1,099,768 in 2021, 1,164,519 in 2022, and 1,241,732 in 2023.
According to the medical community, sleep disorders is a collective term for various conditions related to sleep, including insomnia, sleep-related breathing disorders, hypersomnia, and circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders. Increased stress, aging, and changes in sleep cycles are cited as causes.
If left untreated, sleep disorders can worsen or delay recovery from existing internal medicine, neurology, and psychiatry conditions, and can lead to serious illnesses such as myocardial infarction and stroke.
A domestic study found that prescriptions for sleeping pills are increasing along with the number of sleep disorder patients. According to a recent Seoul National University Hospital research team, prescriptions for four drugs used to treat insomnia (benzodiazepines, non-benzodiazepines, low-dose antidepressants, and low-dose antipsychotics) rose from about 10.5 million to 42.4 million between 2010 and 2022. By sex, prescriptions were more common among women, and by age, among those in their 70s and older. The increase was greatest among young adults in their 20s.
Rep. Nam In-soon said, "As the number of patients visiting hospitals for sleep disorders increases every year and is concentrated among those in their 50s to 70s, analysis and tailored alternatives are needed."