Tran Thuy Anh, a graphic designer under the age of 30 residing in HCMC, suffers from chronic insomnia. The characteristics of her profession necessitate prolonged engagement with digital interfaces, frequently extending beyond 23:00 hours, and occasionally culminating in dawn-adjacent work sessions. Consequently, she manifests sleep initiation difficulties, irritability, and persistent fatigue.
Following the inefficacy of herbal remedies and nutraceutical interventions, Thuy Anh resorted to pharmacological sedatives. Heeding peer recommendations, she allocated substantial financial resources towards yoga instruction, aromatherapy, and online therapeutic modalities. However, the amelioration of her sleep patterns proved transient, reverting to the pre-intervention state within a week.
Meanwhile, 33-year-old Nguyen Bao Lam from Binh Thanh District of HCMC has developed chronic insomnia subsequent to marital discord. Nocturnal wakefulness coupled with daytime somnolence results in a progressive decline in his overall health. Clinical assessment revealed that, in addition to psychological factors, Bao Lam exhibited a tendency for prolonged social media engagement and telephonic communication, thereby impeding sleep onset.
According to medical doctor Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, Head of the Examination Department at Binh Thanh District Hospital (HCMC), sleep disorders are a prevalent condition. In January 2025 alone, the hospital registered over 1,500 consultations pertaining to sleep-related pathologies, encompassing geriatric, undergraduate, and secondary school populations. Following clinical evaluation, patients were counseled on lifestyle modifications and the establishment of conducive pre-sleep environments and routines to optimize sleep quality.
“The therapeutic approach, whether psychological counseling or pharmacotherapy, is contingent upon the patient’s clinical profile; not all cases necessitate prescription medication”, informed Head Nguyen Thi Thu Ha.
A study conducted by the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City revealed that over a half of students experience insomnia, and 70 percent of them sleep less than seven hours per night. In Vietnam, approximately 30 percent of adults encounter sleep-related challenges, impacting their quality of life and augmenting the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and cognitive impairment. Sleep disorders are also implicated in respiratory, neuropsychiatric, and otorhinolaryngological pathologies.
Among those symptoms, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects approximately 30 percent of males and 15 percent of females, with a significant proportion remaining undiagnosed and untreated. Nocturnal snoring is a hallmark of this condition, accompanied by episodes of hypopnea and apnea. Patients typically experience post-awakening fatigue, attentional deficits, daytime somnolence, and cephalalgia. Critically, untreated nocturnal respiratory events can lead to arterial oxygen desaturation, potentiating inflammatory and thrombotic processes, thereby increasing the risk of myocardial infarction.
“Sleep disorders are emerging as a critical public health concern, exacerbated by occupational stress, societal pressures, technological dependence, and the excessive utilization of electronic devices among stressed professionals and students”, a medical expert observed.
Nguyen Ngoc Phuong Thu, PhD MD, Head of the Sleep Medicine Unit at People’s Hospital No.115, stated that sleep disorders are multifactorial, encompassing genetic predispositions, advanced age, comorbid medical conditions, pharmacotherapeutic agents, and notably, lifestyle determinants.
She revealed that unhealthy habits such as tobacco consumption, alcohol ingestion, stimulant use, electronic device utilization, bedroom-based work activities, and late-night exercise deleteriously impact sleep architecture. Statistical data indicate that 75 percent of children and 70 percent of adults engage with technological devices prior to sleep. Such engagement, often involving audiovisual content consumption and text-based communication, impedes neural relaxation, thereby inducing sleep initiation difficulties.
Sound and blue light disrupt circadian rhythms and affect hormonal homeostasis. Head Nguyen Ngoc Phuong Thu cautioned that excessive pre-sleep technological engagement can elevate the risk of occupational and traffic accidents, diminish work productivity, and compromise interpersonal relationships.
Agreeing with that, Assoc Prof Le Khac Bao, PhD MD, Vice President of the Vietnam Sleep Medicine Association, asserted that prolonged telephonic and audiovisual engagement conditions the brain for non-sleep-related activities, thereby delaying sleep onset. Consequently, patients may experience cognitive decline, memory impairment, slowed information processing, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and increased cardiovascular risk.
Sleep disorders in pediatric populations may pre-dispose to obesity and growth retardation. “Sleep constitutes a substantial component of human existence. Currently, sleep disorders are ubiquitous and multi-faceted, yet they remain under-recognized and often trivialized”, emphasized Assoc Prof Le Khac Bao.
Doctors advocate for the adoption of regular sleep schedules, avoidance of stimulants, creation of conducive sleep environments, implementation of balanced dietary practices, and avoidance of late-night meals. In cases of persistent insomnia exceeding three months, or when sleep disorders compromise quality of life, patients should seek prompt medical evaluation and intervention.
