According to Dr Raffaele Ferri, president of the World Sleep Society, “Quality sleep is critical to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing at all ages. Appropriate sleep data that include sleep quality and its impediments like chronic insomnia must inform national health agendas. Policymakers should take bold action to prioritize the collection of global sleep health data and to act upon it for the healthy development of their communities worldwide.”
In recognition of the significant health and economic detriments of poor sleep, in October 2023, the World Sleep Society and a taskforce of sleep health experts published a paper urging health policy decisionmakers worldwide to recognize sleep health as a foundation of human health and to incorporate sleep health into policies to help these individuals.3
Millions of Europeans and Canadians are not getting restorative sleep4
While nearly everyone has occasional nights of poor sleep, millions suffer from chronic insomnia, an independent medical condition which impacts a person’s ability to fall or stay asleep for at least three nights per week, for at least three months and is accompanied by impairments in daytime functioning.5
It is estimated that chronic insomnia affects approximately one in 10 people across Europe and Canada; significantly impacting the working-age population.4,5
The condition is associated with increased daytime fatigue.6,7,8 It is also linked to serious health conditions including neurological disorders (e.g. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s), mental health disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety), breast cancer and cardiovascular disorders (e.g. stroke)9,10,11,12,13,14 and, in recognition of this, was recently added as an essential pillar of cardiovascular health by the American Heart Association.15 Unsurprisingly, given its effects on daily functioning and overall health, it has a significant impact on a sufferers’ quality of life worthy of being treated independent to other health issues.
Sleep deficiency is a significant strain on Europe and Canada’s healthcare systems