[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 144 (Thursday, October 6, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 6, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      ECONOMIC IMPACT OF INSOMNIA

                                 ______


                        HON. JOHN EDWARD PORTER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 6, 1994

  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I want to discuss a recent study that should 
be a wake up call to every person in America. In an article to be 
published this month in the medical journal Clinical Therapeutics, 
Melissa Stoller of the University of Chicago estimates the annual 
economic cost of insomnia due to reduced productivity, accidents, and 
medical problems at between $92.5 and $107.5 billion. That figure does 
not include the costs associated with loss of opportunity, deteriorated 
personal and professional relationships, and decreased quality of 
life--common experiences of insomnia sufferers.
  Contrary to popular perception, insomnia affects a wide cross section 
of the population. Research consistently shows that in any given year 
insomnia affects up to 40 percent of the U.S. population. This is also 
true for the people of Australia and Europe. About one-half of all 
cases are moderate to severe and the majority are not associated with 
psychiatric or medical problems.
  Every business owner in the country should be concerned that the 
average person is absent from work 1 day per month. By contrast, 
however, the average worker suffering from insomnia misses 2.8 
additional days per month. The predominant result of nighttime insomnia 
is daytime fatigue. This daytime impairment is associated with markedly 
reduced productivity, more sleeping during work breaks, and job 
dissatisfaction. The estimated annual cost of performance impairment 
due to insomnia is $41.1 billion.
  In addition, both work-related and motor vehicle accidents are more 
likely to be committed by someone suffering from insomnia than by an 
individual who is well rested. Insomniacs have about 1.5 times as many 
work-related accidents as the rest of the population and have auto 
accidents 2 to 3 times more often. Sleep-related accidents cost $43 to 
$56 billion annually.
  Studies also demonstrate that insomnia is directly linked with 
several serious illnesses including heart disease, high blood pressure, 
diabetes, stroke, and depression. Persons who sleep poorly see the 
doctor more often and have more health problems than those who sleep 
well, placing a burden on the health care system. Insomnia has also 
been related to higher levels of depressive illness and alcohol 
consumption. The death rate for those who sleep less than 6 hours per 
day is 30 percent higher than for those who sleep 7 to 8 hours.
  I became interested in the enormous problem of sleep disorders when a 
constituent of mine who suffers from another sleep disorder called 
narcolepsy brought it to my attention several years ago. Since then I 
have been a firm believer in the need to address this serious problem. 
In 1993, after several years of work, the National Commission on Sleep 
Disorder Research reported to Congress on the need to establish a 
National Center for Sleep Disorders Research. The 1993 NIH 
reauthorization established the National Center within the National 
Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. During its short existence, the 
National Center has done a tremendous job in establishing a national 
public awareness campaign on sleep disorders and coordinating its 
activities with other Federal agencies. But, as Stoller article 
demonstrates, much remains to be done. The National Center needs the 
participation and cooperation of all branches of the government in 
order to make the public and health professionals aware of the 
seriousness of insomnia and other sleep disorders.
  Insomnia has an astronomical economic impact on our society. Given 
these grave consequences, we must address it as a not merely irritating 
but pervasive and inevitable part of modern life. It is a destructive 
and potentially life threatening condition that can and must be better 
diagnosed and treated.

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