The number of people suffering from insomnia in England has nearly doubled over the past four years, with experts pointing to the '24-hour on' culture and excessive phone use as key drivers. NHS data shows that hospital appointments where patients were recorded as having insomnia rose to 33,138 last year, up from 26,944 the previous year and roughly double the 15,215 recorded four years ago.
Zaheen Ahmed, Head of Treatment at the UKAT Group, said the 'Apple Glow' from phones is a real phenomenon, with many patients developing sleeping tablet addictions after using their devices at night. 'The constant need to be on their phones completely interrupts their day to day lives, and worse still, their sleeping patterns,' he said.
Shift workers in the 24-hour economy are also thought to be contributing to the rise. The figures, from NHS Digital, cover patients treated in hospital for any condition where insomnia was also noted, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, or stroke. Experts warn these statistics represent only the tip of the iceberg, as they reflect only the most severe cases.
NHS data also reveals that over a million people in England were prescribed sleeping tablets last year, costing the health service £81 million. The most popular medication was zopiclone, followed by melatonin and temazepam.
Stephanie Romiszewski, author of 'Think Less, Sleep More', said many people misunderstand insomnia as simply not getting enough sleep, when it is actually a learned pattern of hyper-arousal. 'The more they chase sleep, the more elusive it becomes,' she said, adding that improvement comes from consistency, morning light, and retraining the brain to associate bed with sleep.
