The Cost of Ignoring Sleep: Improving Benefits Strategies for Better Outcomes

As is often said: sleep isn’t a luxury. It is a physiological necessity.

Disrupted sleep fuels the onset and progression of chronic diseases. Addressing sleep care management not only closes this gap but also increases the positive impact of existing condition-specific programs, driving better health outcomes and lower total healthcare costs for plan sponsors and members alike. Currently, while benefits strategy decision makers are investing resources in programs for chronic conditions, they are unaware that they're only solving part of the problem. Closing gaps in care with appropriate sleep care management leads to better overall physical and mental health for your employees and their dependents, as well as better financial health for plan sponsors.

In our upcoming white paper (anticipated Q1 2026), our data revealed alarming gaps in care among those suffering from comorbid chronic conditions (i.e., two or more medical conditions occurring simultaneously in the same individual). The gap of those non-adherents to sleep care or undiagnosed range from 54-61% for the population suffering from diabetes, obesity, or cardiovascular disease. The white paper quantifies these findings and offers clear steps for benefit and population health leaders who want to improve health outcomes and control costs.

Effective guideline-adherent management of sleep disorders yields significant and measurable health improvements that may mitigate chronic disease progression, including but not limited to improved metabolic health,¹ reduced cardiovascular risk,² enhanced mental health,^{3, 4, 5} better pain modulation and physical function,^{6, 7} as well as improved women's health outcomes.^{8, 9}

In our two previously published white papers on sleep, we demonstrated that despite evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of sleep disorders, challenges exist. These hidden gaps leave millions at high risk because they live with untreated sleep disorders that quietly drive higher medical costs, absenteeism, and worsening health outcomes.

Health plan members (i.e., participating employees and their dependents) who adhered to sleep therapy reduced total healthcare costs by an average of $2,743 per year, primarily through fewer hospitalizations and emergency visits.

The current care paradigm for sleep is broken, defined by low treatment adoption and a failure to use evidence-based therapies. However, proven solutions exist.

Integrated care models that support patients through their journey dramatically improve adherence to CPAP therapy, while new digital therapeutics have made the first-line treatment for insomnia, CBT-I, more accessible.

Watch for our upcoming white paper (anticipated in Q1 2026) to learn more about the necessity of appropriately managing sleep in order to improve member health, as well as to decrease overall healthcare costs for members with chronic conditions. In case you missed them, get more information on this important topic in our related whitepapers:

• In the Fight Against Chronic Disease, Sleep is the Hidden Gap in Care
• Insomnia: The Need for an Integrated Care Approach

Addressing sleep as part of your chronic disease management strategy for your employee population is not optional. It is essential. 

At Risk Strategies Consulting, we specialize in helping organizations bridge critical care gaps. By harnessing data-driven insights and decades of knowledge, we partner with plan sponsors, payers, and providers to build tailored strategies that can improve workforce well-being while helping to reduce healthcare expenditures.

Our team of consultants, actuaries, pharmacists, data scientists, and other specialists are uniquely positioned to help your organization address complex health challenges efficiently and effectively. By prioritizing innovative, evidence-based solutions, we assist stakeholders in realigning their care paradigms to achieve better health outcomes.

Visit us at riskstrategies.com/consulting.

References

1.    Gleeson, M., & McNicholas, W. T. (2022). Bidirectional relationships of comorbidity with obstructive sleep apnoea. European respiratory review, 31(164). 

2.    Yeghiazarians, Y., Jneid, H., Tietjens, J. R., Redline, S., Brown, D. L., El-Sherif, N., ... & Somers, V. K. (2021). Obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 144(3), e56-e67.

3.    Stubbs, B., Vancampfort, D., Veronese, N., Solmi, M., Gaughran, F., Manu, P., ... & Fornaro, M. (2016). The prevalence and predictors of obstructive sleep apnea in major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of affective disorders, 197, 259-267. 

4.    Garbarino, S., Bardwell, W. A., Guglielmi, O., Chiorri, C., Bonanni, E., & Magnavita, N. (2020). Association of anxiety and depression in obstructive sleep apnea patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Behavioral sleep medicine, 18(1), 35-57. 

5.    Soehner, A. M., & Harvey, A. G. (2012). Prevalence and functional consequences of severe insomnia symptoms in mood and anxiety disorders: results from a nationally representative sample. Sleep, 35(10), 1367-1375. 

6.    Papaconstantinou, E., Cancelliere, C., Verville, L., Wong, J. J., Connell, G., Yu, H., ... & Taylor-Vaisey, A. (2021). Effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions on sleep characteristics among adults with musculoskeletal pain and a comorbid sleep problem: a systematic review. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies, 29(1), 23.

7.    Alessandri-Bonetti, A., Lobbezoo, F., Mangino, G., Aarab, G., & Gallenzi, P. (2024). Obstructive sleep apnea treatment improves temporomandibular disorder pain. Sleep and Breathing, 28(1), 203-209.

8.    Nowakowski, S., Meers, J., & Heimbach, E. (2013). Sleep and women’s health. Sleep medicine research, 4(1), 1.

9.    Maniaci, A., La Via, L., Pecorino, B., Chiofalo, B., Scibilia, G., Lavalle, S., & Scollo, P. (2024). Obstructive sleep apnea in pregnancy: a comprehensive review of maternal and fetal implications. Neurology International, 16(3), 522-532.