Research

Mixed

Untreated insomnia in adults is associated with a significant economic burden, characterized by higher direct medical costs and indirect productivity losses compared to matched non-insomnia controls.

If you suffer from chronic insomnia, treating it is not just about feeling better; it is a financial and health imperative. The data shows that untreated insomnia costs significantly more in medical bills and lost work time than treating it. Seek evaluation and treatment to mitigate these costs.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
We found that average direct and indirect costs for younger adults with insomnia were about $1,253 greater than for patients without insomnia. Among the elderly, direct costs were about $1,143 greater for insomnia patients.
Ronald J. Ozminkowski et al. · SLEEP · 2007

Why this rating

Large sample size (n=214k+), propensity score matching, and rigorous regression controls, though observational design limits causal inference.

Source

The Direct and Indirect Costs of Untreated Insomnia in Adults in the United States

Ronald J. Ozminkowski et al. · SLEEP · 2007

DOI 10.1093/sleep/30.3.263

cohort · n=214378Cited 401×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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