Sleep Wellness Survey | Sleep Hub | Bensons for Beds

We all know that how we sleep at night can make or break us. Getting good sleep is pivotal to staying well and healthy, while a poor night’s rest leaves us feeling groggy and unfocused. More than that though, research has tied sleep deprivation to a number of physical health problems; including obesity, heart disease and reduced life expectancy. In contrast, getting the downtime you need has been shown to boost immunity and mental wellbeing [1].

As the nation’s favourite bed specialist, we’re serious about sleep, and we know a thing or two about how to get it. But to begin addressing Brits’ sleeping woes, we need to work out what’s causing them.

To truly understand the sleep-state of the nation, so that we can begin to get Britain resting well, we conducted our 2018 Sleep Wellness Survey. Here, we reveal all.

How much sleep are we really getting?

When we asked thousands of UK adults how they sleep, only 15% said they always get enough sleep. 31% admitted to having the occasional poor night, while 28% agreed bad sleep was a very regular occurrence. Concerningly, 30% told us they never get the amount of sleep they need.

As we moved around the country, sleep patterns varied. 27% of Brits agreed 10pm was bedtime, including more than a third of people in Norwich. That’s in contrast to the 13% who went to bed as late as midnight, including 22% of Nottingham residents.

What this tells us is that Britain doesn’t follow a steady sleep pattern - a significant chunk of us are going to bed late and not getting the quality sleep we need. This was backed up in our findings when we asked respondents how their sleeping habits were affecting them. One in twenty admitted to calling in sick up to four times in the past year, purely due to sleep deprivation, while as many as seven in ten agreed that a poor night’s rest affects their ability to do their job. Overall, 39% said that the amount of sleep they get is impacting their mental health.

So now we know Brits’ relationship with sleep is complicated, what’s causing the problem?

What’s disrupting our sleep?

When we asked Brits what’s causing their bedtime woes, the results were stark. Coming top was anxiety, which contributes to sleepless nights for almost two in five of us. Family stress was just behind, at 34.3%, while physical pain caused issues for 29.4% of respondents.

Interestingly, a quarter of adults complained that their partner’s snoring was the problem, while poor routine contributed to one in five people’s lack of sleep – two issues that could easily be remedied with a bit of know how.

The top 20 issues causing Brits to lose sleep

20. A partner’s sleep disorder

19. Jet lag

18. Menopause/hormones

17. Parenting a baby

16. Medication

15. A sleep disorder other than Insomnia

14. Shift work

13. Alcohol

12. Parenting a young child

11. Bedroom environment

10. Daytime sleeping

9. Insomnia

8. Poor routine

7. Depression

6. Partner’s snoring

5. Sleep environment

4. Work stress

3. Physical pain

2. Family stress

1. Anxiety

You can find out even more from the survey, including how we dream and what our most common pre-bedtime habits are, here >

At Bensons for beds, our goal is to grant you the perfect night’s sleep. If you’re having trouble getting the rest you deserve, browse our range today and start enjoying exceptional comfort at fantastic prices.

[1] https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/tiredness-and-fatigue/Pages/lack-of-sleep-health-risks.aspx