Sleep disorders are on the rise in Switzerland – why

By their own account, about a third of the Swiss population suffers from sleep disorders. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the proportion of the country's population with sleep problems has increased by 5 percentage points in 25 years.

Sleep is a basic physiological need of human beings. Its damage can have serious consequences for physical and mental health. Sleep disorders can affect energy levels as well as vitality, ability to concentrate, and perceived quality of life. Therefore, they are a major public health problem.

According to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), one-third of the Swiss population suffers from moderate or pathological sleep disorders (26% and 7% respectively), but not all are equally affected. Women are more likely than men to experience sleep disorders (37% vs. 29% respectively), and the number of people affected increases with age.

People aged 85 and older were more likely to have sleep disorders than those aged 15 to 24 (43% vs. 28%, respectively). The highest proportion of people aged 45 to 64 years with pathological sleep disorders (9%).

Sleep disturbances increase with age

Over the past 25 years, the proportion of the population suffering from moderate or pathological sleep disorders has increased by 5 percentage points. In 2022, one third of the population was affected. Pathological sleep disorders increased the most (1997: 5%; 2022: 7%). The increase was particularly pronounced among those aged 15 to 39 and among women. The prevalence of pathological sleep disorders among young women has almost tripled: the proportion affected rose from 3% in 1997 to 8% in 2022.

On the one hand, sleep disorders are risk factors for mental health, but they are also often associated with symptoms of mental illness such as depression. People with pathological sleep disorders were more likely to experience moderate to severe depressive symptoms than those without sleep disorders (35% vs. 4%). They also increasingly face severe psychological distress (18% vs. 2%) or moderate to severe symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (25% vs. 3%).

People with body pain are more affected

There is a vicious cycle between sleep and pain: Pain associated with musculoskeletal disorders prevents restful sleep, and sleep disturbances, in turn, reduce pain tolerance and impair the healing process. People with musculoskeletal disorders report sleep problems more often than people without such disorders. Additionally, when comparing people without pain to those with pain, the number of people with pathological sleep disorders doubled.

Psychosocial risks at work, such as stress or insufficient social support, pose health risks and are associated with sleep disturbances. Sleep disorders may have occupational consequences, such as absenteeism, job dissatisfaction, or risk of burnout. Forty-one percent of people with pathological sleep disorders are at risk for burnout, compared with 29% of people with moderate sleep disorders and 17% of people without sleep disorders. (forward)

Anyone who's had a few too many drinks at night knows the consequences the next morning: headache, dry mouth, and generally a more or less terrible condition. A classic hangover. Moralists might consider this a just punishment for unseemly debauchery, but for hangover victims who aren't masochists, it's obviously a practical question: What's the quickest way to get over a hangover?