The prevalence of insomnia has significantly increased in recent times, with a notable rise in individuals using their smartphones in bed being identified as a contributing factor.
According to data from the NHS, hospital appointments for patients diagnosed with insomnia have nearly doubled over the past four years. This surge is largely attributed to high-stress lifestyles and the pervasive “always-on” culture, where individuals frequently check their phones throughout the night.
In the previous year, there were 33,138 instances where hospital doctors noted patients experiencing insomnia, equating to almost 100 cases daily. This number marks a substantial escalation compared to 26,944 cases documented the year before and a doubling from four years ago when the figure stood at 15,215.
Zaheen Ahmed, Head of Treatment at the UKAT Group, emphasized the impact of excessive phone usage on sleep patterns, citing cases of sleeping tablet addiction stemming from late-night phone use. Ahmed urged individuals to reassess their phone habits in the New Year to potentially address their insomnia issues.
The upsurge in individuals seeking help for sleep problems is also linked to workers in sectors requiring variable shift patterns in a 24-hour economy.
NHS Digital’s insomnia statistics pertain to patients treated in hospitals for various illnesses but specifically noted by doctors as suffering from insomnia. Many of these appointments are related to conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma, or stroke, which are known to heighten the risk for individuals with insomnia.
It is noted that the hospital figures represent severe cases that necessitate urgent medical intervention, indicating a broader scope of individuals affected by sleep disturbances.
In England, over a million people received prescriptions for sleeping tablets in the past year, amounting to £81 million in healthcare costs. Zopiclone emerged as the most commonly prescribed sleeping aid, followed by melatonin and temazepam among the eight million prescriptions filled for sleep-related medications.
Stephanie Romiszewski, author of ‘Think Less, Sleep More,’ highlighted the misconception surrounding insomnia as merely a lack of sleep, emphasizing the learned patterns of hyper-arousal that perpetuate sleep difficulties. Romiszewski emphasized the importance of consistency in sleep routines and behavior to address underlying insomnia triggers effectively.