Insomnia patients in S. Korea near 800,000: data

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The number of insomnia patients in South Korea continued its upward trend, nearing 800,000 last year, recent health data showed Thursday.

According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 782,381 patients visited hospitals for insomnia treatment last year, a 3.4 percent increase from the previous year’s figure of 756,635. Over the past decade, the number of insomnia patients has surged over 70 percent, rising from 448,000 recorded cases in 2013.

The number of sleep-deprived Koreans is even higher when other sleep disorders are included alongside insomnia.

Data from the National Health Insurance Service indicated that approximately 1.09 million people here sought treatment for sleep disorders in 2022, marking a 28.5 percent increase from 855,025 patients in 2018.

The problem of sleep deprivation runs deep in Korean society, as it also impacts teenagers.

ChildFund Korea, a Korean nonprofit organization, reported that among 10,140 students surveyed in elementary, middle and high schools in December, the average sleep duration dropped to seven hours and 59 minutes from eight hours and 14 minutes in 2021. Among them, around 13 percent of the students reported suffering from insomnia.

Compared to other nations, South Korea is known for having shorter sleep durations.

Labeled as one of the most sleep-deprived nations among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's member countries, in 2021, OECD data revealed that Koreans slept an average of seven hours and 51 minutes per day, falling over 30 minutes short of the OECD average of eight hours and 27 minutes.

By No Kyung-min(minmin@heraldcorp.com)