The need to prioritize ”insomnia disorder” in public health agendas: “a wakeup call” position paper from European and Canadian experts in sleep and mental health

Objective: Insomnia Disorder is a chronic mental disorder with significant impact on the population across Europe and Canada. While some countries reimburse evidence-based treatments, others fail to recognize insomnia as a chronic condition and do not provide the resources to ensure consistent care for those affected. This document serves as a position paper from sleep and mental health experts across Europe, Switzerland the UK, and Canada, emphasizing the critical need for public health systems to recognize chronic insomnia as a disorder in order to enhance support for patients. Methods: A consortium of prominent European, Switzerland, UK, and Canadian clinicians and researchers in the field of sleep and mental health decided to produce a position paper. We conducted a narrative review on epidemiology associated with insomnia disorder, the economic and health challenges it poses, and the existing framework of healthcare systems concerning insomnia treatment and reimbursement practices. Results: Although insomnia disorder poses a significant public health challenge, it is not adequately recognized, and it is frequently deprioritized by healthcare authorities which results in the absence of reimbursement or financial support for any treatments recommended for insomnia disorder. Conclusions: Pathways for the evaluation and treatment of insomnia disorder result suboptimal across countries increasing the burden of the disease. This paper acts as a crucial reminder for public health systems to prioritize the support of patients throughout their treatment processes: It is a call for integration of chronic insomnia treatment in stepped-care mental health models.