Hospital appointments for insomnia in England have almost doubled over the last four years, with experts pointing the finger at stressful modern lifestyles and the pervasive habit of checking phones in bed.
The Stark Rise in Sleeplessness
Official NHS data reveals a dramatic surge in people being treated for sleep disorders. Last year, hospital doctors recorded insomnia in patients on 33,138 occasions – equating to nearly 100 instances every single day. This marks a significant increase from 26,944 the previous year and is roughly double the figure from four years ago, which stood at 15,215.
These statistics, provided by NHS Digital, relate to patients receiving hospital treatment for any condition where a clinician has also noted they suffer from insomnia. Many appointments involve managing conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, or asthma, which are known to be exacerbated by, or increase the risk of, chronic sleep problems.
The 'Apple Glow' and a Culture Always 'On'
Addiction and sleep specialists are clear about a primary culprit: our smartphones. Zaheen Ahmed, Head of Treatment at the UKAT Group, highlighted the very real phenomenon of the 'Apple Glow'. "We've treated people for sleeping tablet addiction that stemmed from using their phones during the night," he stated.
Ahmed explained that the constant need to be connected severely disrupts daily life and, more critically, natural sleeping patterns. He urged the public to use the new year as a chance to assess their phone usage, suggesting it could be the key to unlocking better sleep.
This '24-hour on' culture, combined with demanding work schedules – especially for those in roles with variable shifts – is creating a perfect storm for sleep deprivation. Experts warn that the hospital figures are merely the tip of the iceberg, representing only those who have become unwell enough to require urgent medical attention.
Beyond Simple Deprivation: Understanding True Insomnia
Stephanie Romiszewski, a sleep physiologist and author of 'Think Less, Sleep More', argues that a fundamental misunderstanding of insomnia is fuelling the crisis. "Most people think insomnia is just 'not getting enough sleep'", she said, but true clinical insomnia is different.
She describes it as a learned pattern of hyper-arousal, where anxiety about not sleeping leads to counterproductive behaviours like taking naps, having lie-ins, or going to bed too early. "Ironically, those fixes... train the brain to stay awake even more," Romiszewski explained. The more people desperately 'chase' sleep, the more elusive it becomes, as they unintentionally disrupt the brain's natural sleep mechanisms.
The scale of the issue is further illustrated by prescription data. The NHS in England issued over eight million prescriptions for sleeping tablets last year at a cost of £81 million. The most commonly prescribed drug was zopiclone, followed by melatonin and temazepam.
A Path Towards Better Sleep
There is, however, a clear path to improvement that doesn't involve drastic routines or simply trying to sleep longer. Romiszewski emphasises the power of consistency and relearning associations. The key is rebuilding a consistent sleep-wake cycle with a fixed wake-up time, seeking morning light exposure, and crucially, spending time awake outside the bedroom to retrain the brain that bed is for sleep, not for anxiety and struggle.
"Once people understand the difference between lack of opportunity and a conditioned insomnia response," she concluded, "they stop fighting the night and start getting genuinely better." The message from experts is clear: tackling England's insomnia epidemic requires addressing our always-connected habits and relearning the fundamental behaviours that promote natural, restorative sleep.
