(File photo: VCG)

TAIPEI, June 25 (Xinhua) -- About 10 percent of people in Taiwan suffered insomnia in 2018, the latest figures released by the island's health authorities showed.

About 4.26 million people on the island consumed over 918 million prescribed pills to aid sleep in 2018, costing about 2.09 billion new Taiwan dollars (about $6.73 million) of health insurance expenses, the department of health and welfare said.

In 2016, about 4.117 million people in Taiwan took sleeping pills and about 870 million pills were consumed.

Sleeping problems have become a serious health issue for Taiwan people, said Gu Bo-ren, chairman of the Taiwan Pharmacist Association.

Doctors said medicine was only one way to cope with sleeping problems and that patients should avoid using medicine improperly.