Insomnia affects sleep initiation, sleep maintenance, early waking and restorative sleep, but statistics vary with the definition and measurement method. The figures below distinguish modeled global estimates, clinical or DSM-based prevalence, U.S. symptom surveys, related sleep outcomes and reported sleep-aid use.
Key Insomnia Statistics
The most broadly useful figures include:
- In the global estimate based on literature and UN population data, 16.2% of adults had clinically relevant insomnia, equivalent to an estimated 852,325,091 adults worldwide.
- In the same global estimate, 7.9% of adults had severe insomnia, or an estimated 414,967,941 adults worldwide.
- A meta-analysis of studies through April 2024 found 12.4% pooled DSM insomnia prevalence when diagnosis was established by interview or clinician assessment in mostly adult general populations.
- The same meta-analysis found 16.3% pooled DSM insomnia prevalence when insomnia was assessed by self-report questions in mostly adult general populations.
- Across questionnaire studies through April 2024, insomnia prevalence ranged from 7.5% to 32.3% because cutoffs and instruments varied.
- In 2024, 15.4% of U.S. adults had trouble falling asleep most days or every day during the previous 30 days.
- In 2024, 18.1% of U.S. adults had trouble staying asleep most days or every day during the previous 30 days.
- In 2024, 30.5% of U.S. adults reported sleeping 0–6 hours in a 24-hour period.
- In 2024, 12.9% of U.S. adults used any sleep aid most days or every day during the previous 30 days.
- In 2024, 5.2% of U.S. adults used prescription medication as a sleep aid most days or every day.
- In 2024, 5.7% of U.S. adults used an over-the-counter medication or supplement as a sleep aid most days or every day.
- In the 2017 survey of eight states and the District of Columbia, 49.5% of adults reported trouble falling or staying asleep at least one day during the previous 14 days.
- In that 2017 sample, 62.1% of adults sleeping fewer than 7 hours reported trouble falling or staying asleep, compared with 42.7% sleeping 7–9 hours.
- In 2017, 72.2% of adults reporting depression reported trouble falling or staying asleep, compared with 43.3% without depression.
- In the global estimate, 18.9% of adult females had clinically relevant insomnia, compared with 13.4% of adult males.
- Among America Insomnia Survey respondents meeting insomnia criteria, 61% reported difficulty maintaining sleep during the 30 days before interview.
- A 2022 review estimated that about 10% of adults have an insomnia disorder and another 20% experience occasional insomnia symptoms.
- The same 2022 review reported 40% persistence of insomnia over five years in the longitudinal evidence it summarized.
Contents
- Global insomnia prevalence and burden
- U.S. insomnia symptoms and sleep difficulty data
- Insomnia statistics by sex and age
- Insomnia, short sleep and daytime sleepiness
- Insomnia, depression and chronic disease
- Sleep-aid use and insomnia treatment patterns
- Insomnia measurement and persistence
Global Insomnia Prevalence and Burden
A systematic literature review-based analysis used available country studies and UN population data to model global burden. It estimated 852,325,091 adults, or 16.2% of adults worldwide, had chronic, clinically relevant insomnia.
The estimate is not a global census. Only 31 of 237 countries or territories had suitable nation-specific estimates, so the authors extrapolated across heterogeneous evidence and definitions.
The reported 95% confidence interval for the adult total was 830,354,161 to 874,309,252.
| Global modeled measure | Estimate | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Clinically relevant insomnia | 16.2%; 852,325,091 adults | Global adults |
| Severe insomnia | 7.9%; 414,967,941 adults | Global adults |
| Clinically relevant insomnia, females | 18.9%; 501,588,081 adults | Global adult females |
| Clinically relevant insomnia, males | 13.4%; 350,737,010 adults | Global adult males |
| Severe insomnia, females | 9.9%; 261,863,183 adults | Global adult females |
| Severe insomnia, males | 5.9%; 153,104,758 adults | Global adult males |
Source: Estimation of the global prevalence and burden of insomnia. These are modeled estimates applied to UN population data; severity thresholds and diagnostic definitions followed the included studies.
A separate meta-analysis gives a different view of prevalence because it separates diagnostic assessment methods. Across 47 studies through April 2024, DSM-defined prevalence was 12.4% when established by interview or clinician assessment, 16.3% when assessed by self-report questions, and 13.9% when both modes were combined.
The pooled 95% confidence interval was 9.0%–16.8% for interview or clinician assessment, 11.3%–23.0% for self-report DSM assessment, and 10.9%–17.6% for the combined estimate. Questionnaire studies using varying cutoffs ranged from 7.5% to 32.3%, while high-quality studies reported 10.7% versus 17.1% in lower-quality studies.
Source: The Prevalence of Insomnia Disorder in the General Population: A Meta-Analysis. The range is not a time trend, and the study-quality comparison may reflect other differences between studies.
U.S. Insomnia Symptoms and Sleep Difficulty Data
CDC 2024 estimates measure how often adults experienced symptoms during the previous 30 days, not whether they met a clinical insomnia definition. 15.4% of U.S. adults had trouble falling asleep most days or every day, while 18.1% had trouble staying asleep most days or every day.
| U.S. adult sleep measure | 2024 result | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Trouble falling asleep | 15.4% | Most days or every day in previous 30 days |
| Trouble staying asleep | 18.1% | Most days or every day in previous 30 days |
| Waking well-rested | 54.8% | Most days or every day in previous 30 days |
| Short sleep duration | 30.5% | 0–6 hours in a 24-hour period |
Source: Short Sleep Duration and Sleep Difficulties Among Adults: United States, 2024. Short sleep and feeling unrested are related indicators, not diagnostic tests for insomnia.
The earlier 2017 BRFSS sleep module covered adults in eight states and the District of Columbia. 49.5% reported trouble falling or staying asleep at least one day during the previous 14 days, and 23.1% reported unintentionally falling asleep at least one day during that period.
The 2017 trouble measure also included sleeping too much, so it should not be read as clinical insomnia prevalence. The daytime-sleepiness measure is an associated symptom or outcome, not insomnia itself.
Source: Sleep Disorder Symptoms Among Adults in 8 States and the District of Columbia, 2017.
Among America Insomnia Survey respondents who met survey insomnia criteria, symptom types overlapped: 61% reported difficulty maintaining sleep, 52% early morning awakening, 38% difficulty initiating sleep and 25% nonrestorative sleep. These figures describe respondents meeting the survey criteria, not all U.S. adults.
Source: Study examines the prevalence and risk patterns of insomnia symptoms. The survey included 6,791 adults and asked about the 30 days before interview.
Insomnia Statistics by Sex and Age
The modeled global comparison shows higher estimated clinically relevant and severe insomnia prevalence among adult females than adult males. Clinically relevant insomnia was estimated at 18.9% for females and 13.4% for males; severe insomnia was 9.9% and 5.9%, respectively.
These sex comparisons are modeled across heterogeneous country evidence, and the source notes that sex categories and extrapolation reflect the underlying studies and population data. They should not be treated as a single survey result.
Age patterns are available for U.S. sleep-aid use rather than insomnia diagnosis. In 2024, any sleep-aid use was 10.5% among adults ages 18–34 and 15.8% among adults 65 and older; prescription use was 2.2% and 8.8%, while OTC medication or supplement use was 3.9% and 7.6%.
| U.S. sleep-aid measure, 2024 | Ages 18–34 | Ages 65+ |
|---|---|---|
| Any sleep aid | 10.5% | 15.8% |
| Prescription sleep aid | 2.2% | 8.8% |
| OTC medication or supplement | 3.9% | 7.6% |
| Marijuana or CBD product | 5.5% | 1.7% |
Source: Use of Sleep Aids Among Adults Age 18 and Older: United States, 2024. Sleep-aid use is not the same as diagnosed insomnia, and categories may overlap.
Insomnia, Short Sleep and Daytime Sleepiness
The 2017 BRFSS analysis compared sleep-duration groups with reported symptoms. Among adults sleeping fewer than 7 hours, 62.1% reported trouble falling or staying asleep, compared with 42.7% among those sleeping 7–9 hours; the adjusted prevalence ratio was 1.44.
For unintentional falling asleep, the corresponding figures were 29.1% and 19.3%, with an adjusted prevalence ratio of 1.39. Adults sleeping more than 9 hours reported trouble falling or staying asleep at 50.1% and unintentional falling asleep at 32.1%, but that subgroup was small relative to the 7–9-hour group.
These are cross-sectional associations, not proof that short sleep causes insomnia or sleepiness. The trouble measure included sleeping too much, and the adjusted estimates account for listed demographic, health and sleep covariates.
Source: Sleep Disorder Symptoms Among Adults in 8 States and the District of Columbia, 2017.
Insomnia, Depression and Chronic Disease
In the 2017 BRFSS analysis, adults reporting depression had trouble falling or staying asleep at a prevalence of 72.2%, compared with 43.3% among adults without depression. Unintentional falling asleep was reported by 31.5% with depression and 20.8% without it.
The adjusted prevalence ratios were 1.54 for trouble falling or staying asleep and 1.35 for unintentional falling asleep among adults with depression versus those without depression. These are adjusted associations, not causal estimates.
High blood pressure was also associated with both reported outcomes. Trouble falling or staying asleep affected 57.2% of adults with high blood pressure versus 47.2% without it, while unintentional falling asleep affected 29.2% versus 20.6%; adjusted prevalence ratios were 1.09 and 1.16.
Related breathing symptoms should not be relabeled as insomnia. In 2017, 41.1% reported loud snoring and 13.6% reported that someone had observed breathing stopping during sleep; loud snoring was 50.3% among men and 31.6% among women, while observed stopped breathing was 17.8% and 9.4%.
The adjusted prevalence ratios for those breathing symptoms were 1.61 for men versus women for loud snoring and 2.23 for observed stopped breathing. These findings describe sleep-disordered-breathing symptoms, not insomnia measures.
Source: Sleep Disorder Symptoms Among Adults in 8 States and the District of Columbia, 2017.
Sleep-Aid Use and Insomnia Treatment Patterns
CDC’s 2024 survey asked U.S. adults whether they used aids most days or every day in the previous 30 days to help fall or stay asleep. 12.9% used any sleep aid, including 5.2% using prescription medications, 5.7% using OTC medications or supplements, and 3.7% using marijuana or CBD products.
| Sleep-aid category, U.S. adults 18+, 2024 | Reported use |
|---|---|
| Any sleep aid | 12.9% |
| Prescription medication | 5.2% |
| OTC medication or supplement | 5.7% |
| Marijuana or CBD product | 3.7% |
Source: Use of Sleep Aids Among Adults Age 18 and Older: United States, 2024. Categories overlap because respondents could report more than one aid; the figures measure use, not efficacy or safety.
Any sleep-aid use was 14.8% among U.S. women and 10.8% among U.S. men. Prescription use was 6.4% and 3.9%, while OTC medication or supplement use was 7.0% and 4.3%, respectively.
Age-specific marijuana or CBD use was 5.5% among adults ages 18–34 and 1.7% among adults 65 and older. None of these use measures establishes a diagnosis of insomnia or treatment success.
Insomnia Measurement and Persistence
Measurement choices explain much of the variation across insomnia statistics. A clinical or DSM-based estimate, a symptom frequency question, short sleep duration, daytime sleepiness and sleep-aid use capture different populations and should not be combined as if they were interchangeable.
A 2022 peer-reviewed review estimated that approximately 10% of adults have an insomnia disorder, while another 20% experience occasional insomnia symptoms. The review also reported a 40% persistence rate over five years.
Source: Epidemiology of Insomnia: Prevalence, Course, Risk Factors, and Public Health Burden. These review-level estimates depend on the longitudinal studies and definitions included, so persistence is not the same as uninterrupted symptoms for every person.
Across the evidence, the most defensible reading is precise rather than additive: global burden estimates describe modeled clinical relevance, U.S. surveys describe recent symptoms, BRFSS analyses describe associations, and sleep-aid statistics describe reported behavior. Each measure retains its own population, period and limitation.