{"id":7940,"date":"2026-03-19T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/?p=7940"},"modified":"2026-03-19T14:19:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T13:19:33","slug":"the-price-of-insomnia-billions-a-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/the-price-of-insomnia-billions-a-year\/","title":{"rendered":"The price of insomnia? Billions a year!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>What is the price of insomnia? Well<\/strong><b data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"> numbers don&#8217;t lie: insomnia takes a heavy economic and social toll. An article in Belgian newspaper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.demorgen.be\/beter-leven\/een-rekening-van-negen-miljard-euro-en-talloze-gezondheidsklachten-waarom-we-wakker-moeten-liggen-van-insomnia~b66c9cfd\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"152\">De Morgen<\/i><\/a> puts its finger on the sore spot: the bill for chronic lack of sleep and poor sleep in Belgium runs to nine billion euros per year. That&#8217;s 1.5% of this country&#8217;s gross national product. But how do we regain those lost euros, hours &#8211; and our vitality? <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Content:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #003f73;color:#003f73\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #003f73;color:#003f73\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/the-price-of-insomnia-billions-a-year\/#An_invisible_bill\" >An invisible bill<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/the-price-of-insomnia-billions-a-year\/#Dealing_with_insomnia_stop_the_fight\" >Dealing with insomnia: stop the fight<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/the-price-of-insomnia-billions-a-year\/#Good_sleep_Release_the_gas_pedal_during_the_day\" >Good sleep? Release the gas pedal during the day<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/the-price-of-insomnia-billions-a-year\/#Seek_help_for_insomnia\" >Seek help for insomnia<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/the-price-of-insomnia-billions-a-year\/#How_can_we_lower_the_price_of_insomnia\" >How can we lower the price of insomnia?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"An_invisible_bill\"><\/span>An invisible bill  <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Nine billion euros. That&#8217;s the astronomical amount lost to lost productivity, absenteeism and accidents due to sleep deprivation, according to a Belgian report published by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kbc.com\/nl\/economics\/the-front-row\/artikels\/slaaptekort-op-de-werkvloer-onderschat-probleem-met-miljardenimpact1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KBC<\/a> in June 2025. They conclude that the cost amounts to 1.5% of the gross national product.   Apply this percentage to the economy of countries like the Netherlands, France, Spain or Germany and the amounts are many times higher!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we live in a society that is &#8220;on&#8221; 24\/7, our sleep, and therefore our physical and mental health, is paying the toll. Sleep problems and sleep deprivation increase the risk of burnout, cardiovascular disease and depression. But <strong>the solution is not in &#8220;trying harder&#8221;<\/strong>. On the contrary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dealing_with_insomnia_stop_the_fight\"><\/span>Dealing with insomnia: stop the fight  <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Dutch physician and <strong>ACT therapist<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/aline-kruit-45250119\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aline Kruit<\/a>, author of the book <i data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"46\">Sleeping is Doing Nothing<\/i> (slapen is niets doen), highlights a paradoxical truth: The harder you try to sleep, the less you succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sleep is a passive process over which you have no direct control.<\/strong>  Kruit advises against waking up. Instead of fighting your thoughts (&#8220;I must sleep now because I have an important meeting tomorrow&#8221;), learn to accept them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By using <strong>Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)<\/strong>, you learn that lying awake quietly is less harmful than stressed fighting for sleep. &#8220;Sleep is surrender yourself,&#8221; says Aline Kruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/do-you-sleep-better-with-a-taped-mouth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Covering your mouth<\/a> or entrusting your sleep to apps is not the answer. Did you know that the number of people suffering from <a href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/orthosomnia-obsession-with-perfect-sleep\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">orthosomnia<\/a>, or the obsession with perfect sleep, has skyrocketed? We have lost connection with our own rhythms, our body&#8217;s own signals, and rely on unreliable apps and bizarre rituals. Why oh why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Good_sleep_Release_the_gas_pedal_during_the_day\"><\/span>Good sleep? Release the gas pedal during the day   <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Belgian neurologist and sleep expert Dr. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/inge-declercq-581b4011a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Inge Declercq<\/a> and author of the books <em><i data-path-to-node=\"13\" data-index-in-node=\"44\">De kracht van slapen (the power of sleep) and<\/i> <i data-path-to-node=\"13\" data-index-in-node=\"66\">Slaap Wijze<\/i>r (sleep guide)<\/em>  looks at the biological engine behind our sleep. According to her, a good night begins upon waking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b data-path-to-node=\"14,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Deconnection<\/b> <br>We can&#8217;t expect our brains to suddenly &#8220;turn off&#8221; at 11 p.m. when we&#8217;ve been running at full speed all day. Declercq advocates &#8220;deconnection moments&#8221; throughout the day and timely shutting down. She elaborates on this in her recent book <em>Brain Rest <\/em>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/light-therapy-how-does-it-work-and-what-does-the-science-say\/\"><b data-path-to-node=\"14,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Light and biorhythms<\/b><\/a> <br>Our biological clock needs daylight in the morning and darkness in the evening. Declercq&#8217;s advice? &#8220;Let off the gas pedal regularly during the day.&#8221; Short micro-breaks and breathing exercises keep your stress system (cortisol) from working overtime, allowing you to transition more naturally into sleep mode in the evening.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b data-path-to-node=\"14,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">No brooding in bed<\/b> <br>Declercq is formal: the bed is for sleeping (and for sex). Mulling is done on a chair in another room, with pen and paper to write away your mulling thoughts, so your brain doesn&#8217;t associate the bedroom with stress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I know, these are really obvious tips. And yet a lot of people fail to apply them. When&#8217;s the last time you&#8217;ve felt truly relaxed? Without booze (or drugs), Netflix, your phone or your tablet? Really relaxed, really enjoyed yourself or laughed hard? It strikes me that a lot of people with sleep problems, that I counsel myself, often have difficulty answering this. Often stress dominates and additionally, the stress dominates sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindthebed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/woman-with-insomnia-lying-bed-with-open-eyes-normaal.jpeg?resize=640%2C427&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Lying awake\" class=\"wp-image-7925\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/woman-with-insomnia-lying-bed-with-open-eyes-normaal.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/woman-with-insomnia-lying-bed-with-open-eyes-normaal-480x320.jpeg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 640px, 100vw\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">lying awake<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Seek_help_for_insomnia\"><\/span>Seek help for insomnia<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The nine billion euros our economy is losing is a wake-up call.  <strong>But the road to recovery does not lie in more sleeping pills or sleep aids such as all kinds of gadgets or nutritional supplements.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sleep aids have become a very lucrative business<\/strong>. Did you know that more than 80 billion Euros are already involved worldwide? Hallucinatory! Simply too crazy for words! While understanding our biological needs and letting go of the mental compulsion to perform in bed can really be done differently. For example, with proper support from healthcare professionals.     <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sleep or better sleep is not a luxury or a waste of time<\/strong>: it is the foundation on which your body and mind are carried. High time, then, that we start investing those billions in our own rest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A psychologist specializing in sleep or a trained sleep coach can help you with this.<\/strong>  They are a bridge between scientific insights and hard economic reality. They help you get a grip again. For example, an effective treatment for insomnia is <strong>CBT-i <\/strong>(cognitive behavioral therapy) or <strong>ACT ( <\/strong>see above).    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An investment in yourself that really pays off. By doing something about long-term poor sleep or chronic insomnia, people often regain courage. They get to know their own biological clock, learn to feel what their own body wants and start listening to it better. Slowly but surely, they escape from the vicious circle of insomnia. And thanks to that knowledge, the chance of relapsing is many times smaller. When you know why you sleep badly and how you can do something about it, you experience a certain peace.     <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_can_we_lower_the_price_of_insomnia\"><\/span>How can we lower the price of insomnia?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><p data-path-to-node=\"20,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"20,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Schedule &#8220;brain rest.<\/b> Take at least 5 minutes every two hours to stare away from your screen, for example.<\/p><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><p data-path-to-node=\"20,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"20,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Accept the waking moments:<\/b> Are you lying awake? Don&#8217;t get mad at yourself. Recognize that your body is resting, even if you are not sleeping deeply.  <\/p><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><p data-path-to-node=\"20,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"20,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\" style=\"font-size: revert;\">Look for the light:<\/b> <span style=\"font-size: revert;\">Go outside first thing in the morning. This sets your biological clock on alert for the night ahead. <\/span><\/p><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Seek professional help!<\/strong>  Take the step. Often, by the way, help with insomnia is woven into the basic health insurance package.   <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is the price of insomnia? Well numbers don&#8217;t lie: insomnia takes a heavy economic and social toll. An article in Belgian newspaper De Morgen puts its finger on the sore spot: the bill for chronic lack of sleep and poor sleep in Belgium runs to nine billion euros per year. That&#8217;s 1.5% of this&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7941,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-improve-my-sleep"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindthebed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/love-money-smiling-girl-with-her-eyes-closed-lying-down-floor-with-her-head-pile-money-normaal.jpeg?fit=640%2C427&ssl=1","author_info":{"display_name":"J\u00fcrgen Swinnen","author_link":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/author\/victorys\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7940"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7940\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7967,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7940\/revisions\/7967"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}