Having trouble getting in those zzzs when it comes to bedtime? You’re not the only one: last year 24 percent of adults aged 25 or older struggled when it came to hitting the hay. If you express this percentage as a number, you get a whopping 2,9 million people!

A bad night’s sleep

In 2017, only 21 percent of adults in the Netherlands aged 25 or above had trouble sleeping. This year has seen an increase of three percent finding it hard to drift off, according to figures from Statistics Netherlands’ (CBS) annual health survey. If we zoom in further, we see that of those in employment, 19 percent find it difficult to get a good night’s rest. However, the big shocker comes when we look at those unfit to work, of which 58 percent don’t get a decent night’s sleep!

Of those who have trouble sleeping, four in ten report that this problem has an impact on how they function on a day-to-day basis, causing, for example, decreased concentration, forgetfulness and a bad temper. Again, those declared unfit to work are in even worse shape, with 81 percent reporting suffering from such difficulties in daily life.

Sleep problems and poorer health

According to an analysis of the health survey, mental health, long-term conditions and pain are connected to sleep issues. The possibility of having trouble sleeping was three times higher amongst those with mental health issues than others and 2,5 times higher for those with four or more long-term conditions.

Those who had suffered some pain in the previous four weeks also had a higher chance of having trouble getting a good night’s rest. It is, however, not possible to determine whether mental health issues, long-term conditions or pain cause or are caused by sleep issues.