Market-based guidance: This article covers information from both Korea and the U.S. Each piece of information is marked in the text as 🇰🇷 Korea·🇺🇸 U.S. to indicate which country's standards it reflects.
"I didn't sleep a wink last night again." You hear this often from your parents, but many of us don't know what to do and let it pass. It's easy to think that poor sleep is just something that happens with age, or that it's due to worry. But sleep disorders are not simply an inconvenience. Multiple studies and statistics make this clear.
🇰🇷 Korea According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, medical expenses for sleep disorder treatment increased from approximately 152.6 billion won in 2018 to approximately 285.2 billion won in 2022—nearly an 87% increase in five years. As of 2022, the number of patients visiting hospitals for sleep disorders exceeded 1.1 million. This figure does not even include those who did not seek hospital care. 🇺🇸 U.S. According to data from the NCOA (National Council on Aging), which compiles statistics on elderly care in the U.S., up to 50% of adults aged 60 and older in America experience insomnia symptoms, and approximately 70 million people are estimated to be living with persistent sleep disorders.
The core reason sleep disorders are dangerous is that they are closely linked to other health problems. 🇺🇸 U.S. Based on the latest medical literature reviewed by Healthline, poor sleep quality is associated with increased risk of falls, severe daytime fatigue, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. 🇺🇸 U.S. In particular, research on women aged 65 and older found that sleeping less than five hours a day increases the risk of falls and fractures. For men aged 65 and older, short or frequently interrupted sleep has been shown to lead to declines in physical function indicators such as grip strength and walking speed. When you consider that a single fall can completely change an older person's ability to live independently, sleep problems cannot be viewed merely as a fatigue issue.
The connection to cognitive function also deserves attention. 🇺🇸 U.S. A meta-analysis published in the 2024 journal Sleep Medicine covering more than 990,000 people across 36 countries found that 46% of community-dwelling older adults aged 60 and older have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). 🇺🇸 U.S. According to analyses synthesizing research in this field, insomnia and sleep apnea are strongly associated with cognitive decline, dementia, and frailty syndrome. 🇰🇷 Korea The 2023 dementia epidemiology survey results released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare also show that the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment in adults aged 65 and older increased significantly from 22.25% in 2016 to 28.42% in 2023. Experts commonly emphasize that sleep management can affect the maintenance of cognitive health.
So where should you start when looking at your parents' sleep problems? First, sleep disorders are not caused by a single factor. 🇺🇸 U.S. According to medical review materials from Healthline, insomnia in older adults is often intertwined with Parkinson's disease, chronic pain, cardiovascular disease, and medications they are taking. Reviewing your parents' medication list and any recent changes in their daily patterns is a good first step. It's also worth checking whether they sleep too long during the day, drink caffeinated beverages in the evening, or whether their bedroom is too bright or noisy.
Sleep medication requires particularly careful consideration with older adults. 🇺🇸 U.S. Medical experts recommend cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as the first-line treatment for both acute and chronic insomnia in older people, because sleep medication can cause side effects, falls, and dependence in seniors. Rather than purchasing sleep aids on your own judgment, it's safer to consult with your parents' primary care physician to identify the underlying cause first. 🇰🇷 Korea In Korea, the Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to expand home healthcare centers to 250 locations nationwide by 2027, and the environment for consulting about complex health issues including sleep problems through in-home medical services continues to expand.
Sleep problems are an area that is especially difficult for family members caring from a distance to notice. Your parents might say "I'm just tired" during a phone call, but in reality they may be tossing and turning for hours every night. It helps to ask regularly and specifically about sleep patterns, and to record any changes you notice for use at medical appointments. If needed, it's also a good approach to seek the help of a care professional to have your parents' daily life and sleep environment objectively assessed.
Source: Financial News 2024 Republic of Korea Report (Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service sleep disorder medical expense statistics), Statistics Korea 2024 Elderly Statistics, Ministry of Health and Welfare 2023 Elderly Condition Survey announcement, Ministry of Health and Welfare 2023 Dementia Epidemiology Survey and Condition Survey results, NCOA (National Council on Aging) Sleep Statistics for Older Adults 2026, Healthline – Sleep Problems in the Elderly (medical review January 2026), Sleep Medicine 2024 meta-analysis (cited in Fawcett Mattress), ScienceDirect – Worldwide prevalence of sleep problems in community-dwelling older adults (2024).
Note: This article was compiled by AI from the sources cited above. We strive for accuracy, but for decisions about your specific situation, please confirm the latest guidance from a professional or the relevant agency.