Sleep disorder patients increased by 28.5 percent, and their medical expenses soared by 86.8 percent from 2018 to 2022.

On Thursday, the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) released the health insurance treatment status of patients with sleep disorders from 2018 to 2022 using health insurance treatment data.

Sleep disorders are defined as difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep, excessive drowsiness or fatigue during the day, and abnormal behavior, such as talking in sleep or sleepwalking during sleep.

The number of people treated for sleep disorders increased by 28.5 percent from 855,025 in 2018 to 1,098,819 in 2022, with an average annual growth rate of 7.8 percent.

By age group, the number of patients with sleep disorders in 2022 was largest among the 60s, accounting for 23.0 percent of the total, with 252,829, followed by the 50s, 18.9 percent with 207,698, and 70s, 16.8 percent, with 184,863.

By year, the number of patients with sleep disorders per 100,000 people was 2,137 in 2022, an increase of 27.7 percent from 1,674 in 2018.

By age group, the number of patients with sleep disorders per 100,000 people was the largest in people 80 and older, with 6,076.

Health insurance medical expenses for sleep disorder patients increased from 152.6 billion won ($117.2 million) in 2018 to 285.1 billion in 2022, an increase of 86.8 percent (132.5 billion) from 2018, with an average annual growth rate of 16.9 percent.

In 2022, health insurance medical expenses for sleep disorder patients were highest among those in their 60s, accounting for 20.5 percent (58.5 billion won), followed by the 50s at 17.3 percent (49.2 billion won), and the 40s at 15.7 percent (44.8 billion won).

Over the past five years, medical expenses per patient increased by 45.4 percent, from 178,000 won in 2018 to 259,000 won in 2022. In 2022, medical expenses per patient by age group were highest among teenagers, with 410,000 won.