Over the past five years, the number of people diagnosed with sleep disorders has skyrocketed, with medical expenses exceeding 300 billion won ($227 million).
More than half of those suffering from sleep disorders were concentrated in older adults aged 60 and more.
According to data submitted to Rep. Nam In-soon of the Democratic Party of Korea by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), the number of people who visited medical institutions for sleep disorders and narcolepsy increased 24 percent, from 998,796 in 2019 to 1,240,597 in 2023.
Medical expenditures also increased by 55 percent from 207.5 billion won to 322.7 billion won.
The number of people treated for sleep disorders is also rising, from 998,796 in 2019 to 1,037,395 in 2020, 1,099,633 in 2021, 1,164,116 in 2022, and 1,240,597 in 2023.
Regarding gender, women accounted for 55.2 percent (684,544) of the total number of patients in 2023, 10.4 percentage points more than men (556,053). Some 70 percent (867,806) of the patients were 50 and older.
In particular, those aged 60 and older accounted for more than half. People in their 60s were the most likely to suffer from sleep disorders, at 23.0 percent, followed by those in their 70s at 16.8 percent and those in their 80s and older at 11.3 percent.
“The number of people treated for sleep disorders has increased every year, exceeding 1.2 million this year, and the total medical expenses have also skyrocketed, ringing an alarm signal for the nation’s sleep health,” Rep. Nam said. “The health authorities must awaken people to the importance of sleep health and analyze and develop alternative solutions to the increasing number of sleep disorders.”
According to the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases (KCD), non-mood disorders (F51) include only those sleep disorders that have a primary emotional component and are not caused by a physical disorder. Examples include nightmares, night terrors, and sleepwalking.
Sleep disorders include sleep apnea and hypersomnia, excluding those related to non-temperamental sleep disorders, such as peak week syndrome and neonatal sleep apnea.
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