Lost Productivity in US Workforce Due to Insomnia Costing $63.2 Billion Annually

On average US workers lose 11.3 days, or 2,280 dollars in productivity each year due to insomnia, a study has revealed. The study revealed that insomnia affects around 23 percent of US workers, and brings a national cost for the sleeping disorder at 63.2 billion dollars.

The study results were made from a national sampling of 7,428 employees, which was part of the larger American Insomnia Study (AIS) conducted in 2008 and 2009.

According to the study, insomnia was found to be significantly lower (14.3 percent) among workers age 65 and older, and higher among working women (27.1 percent) than working men (19.7 percent).

"We were shocked by the enormous impact insomnia has on the average person's life," said lead author Ronald C. Kessler, Ph.D.

"It's an underappreciated problem. Americans are not missing work because of insomnia. They are still going to their jobs but accomplishing less because they're tired. In an information-based economy, it's difficult to find a condition that has a greater effect on productivity," Kessler added.

According to study co-author James K. Walsh, the average cost of treating insomnia ranges from about 200 dollars a year for a generic sleeping pill to up to 1,200 dollars for behavioral therapy.

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The study also found a lower than average insomnia prevalence among respondents with less than a high school education (19.9 percent) and among college graduates (21.5 percent).

Those with a high school education (25.3 percent) or some college education (26.4 percent) showed higher rates of prevalent insomnia, the study revealed.

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Source-ANI