The UK’s Bedtime Rituals
Sarah HarrisDoes your bedtime routine consist of dozing off on the sofa to your favourite show? Or perhaps you take the time to properly wind down, maybe indulging in a night-time bubble bath with a cup of calming chamomile tea?
We were curious about Brits and their bedtime routines. We want to know what most people typically do before their head hits the pillow each night. So, we conducted a survey in which more than 1000 people took part to find out more about their usual bedtime rituals. Here’s what we discovered.
We love watching TV
It’s probably not surprising to learn that watching television was the activity most people enjoy before going to bed (a).
Many said watching TV helps their brain switch off before bed, which is exactly what’s needed after a busy day (b).
Thanks to the introduction of streaming services where binge-able TV shows are readily available, it can be even more difficult to peel yourself off the sofa and head to bed. And that's reinforced by the popularity of our TV bed product category! Imagine the convenience of having a TV rise from the foot of your bed in times of necessity.
If you find yourself staying up later than you’d like because you find it hard to switch the tele off, why not try to have a couple of TV-free nights each week? Try organising a ‘date night’ with a friend or your partner, while away an evening doing something creative, or treat yourself to a nice, relaxing bubble bath instead. You could even follow it with a proper pampering session too if you like!
Screen time at bedtime?
Scrolling on our mobiles or tablets before bed is the second most common thing we do before settling down to sleep.
Almost 30% of those surveyed said they scroll on their phones or tablets before bed more than six times a week (c). In fact, several of those we surveyed said they are trying to reduce screen time due to experiencing eye strain and disrupted sleep. (d)
If you’d prefer to cut down on your screen time, making your bedroom a screen-free zone could be the ideal solution In keeping smart phones out of the bedroom, you'll remove the temptation to quickly check your emails or scroll social media before going to sleep. Plus it gives you time to do something else, such as have a gentle stretch or enjoy some quiet time before bed. (1)
Even switching on the blue-light filter on your phone can help the amount of blue light your eyes are exposed to.
Reading before dozing
Reading a book or having a story read to us often becomes part of our bedtime routine as children. However, this habit doesn’t seem to always continue into adulthood. Only just over 10% of the people we surveyed said they read before bed most nights. (e)
The East of England was the region with the most bookworms, as almost 20% of the people here say they read every night (f). However, those in the Southwest appear to read the least, with over 41% of people saying they never read before bed. (g)
Reading a book can not only give our eyes a break from a screen, but it can also transport us to a new world and allow us to get lost in a story. So, why not make it your goal to read a couple of nights a week and see if it has any impact on your sleep?
Soaking in the tub
Nothing is better than a good soak in a warm bubble bath before bed. And it seems the younger you are, the more likely you are to indulge; more than 15% of people we surveyed aged 16 to 24 said they usually have a bath every night, compared to just over 3% of people aged 55 and over (h).
Lying in the tub and allowing the warm water to soothe our aching muscles while playing calming music could be just what you need to drift off to a peaceful slumber.
Clearing our mind
Although people said they were often hindered from getting to sleep because of worries, anxieties, and an overactive mind (i), over 69% of people surveyed never do any form of calming activity before bed, such as journaling or meditation(j).
The most likely to undertake this sort of activity were men. Our survey revealed just over 14% of males journal once a week, compared to just over 9% of women (k). And just over 14% of males meditate two to three times per week, compared to just over 9% of women (l).
Meditation and journaling may still feel relatively new to us, but they could be a fantastic addition to our nightly routine. Writing in a journal may help you unpack what’s been going on for you that day while meditating can help slow down your breathing and put you in a more relaxing state of mind for sleep.
Working up a sweat
Whether it’s an evening stroll, late-night jog or getting intimate with our partners, our survey results show any form of exercise was the least popular activity we do before bed.
More than 61% of those surveyed said they never exercised before bed (m). And when it comes to getting intimate before going to sleep, we only do this on average once a week. (n)
We know it can be difficult to find the energy to work out when you’re tired, but even some gentle movements such as stretching, yoga, or a slow walk would make excellent additions to your nightly routine. Just make sure you leave plenty of time to wind down afterwards.
A nightcap, perhaps?
Having your favourite tipple happens on average once a week for those we surveyed (o).
Younger adults were particularly partial to an alcoholic beverage, with over 26% of adults aged 16 to 24 saying they enjoy an alcoholic drink two to three times per week, compared to just 13% of adults aged 55 and over (p).
Although drinking can make you drowsy, it does not necessarily set you up for a good night’s sleep. According to Drink Aware, we should avoid drinking alcohol close to bedtime in order to give our bodies the time needed to process it before we settle into our slumber. (2)
Nothing makes going to bed easier than knowing you have a comfortable mattress waiting for you.
We have a wide range of mattress types from singles to super kings and memory foam to pocket sprung, so you can be sure to find the right one for you.
References
- 1 in 5 British Children Struggle to Sleep at Night, Says Study for Bensons for Beds...And Smart Phones & Video Games are to Blame! - Bensons for Beds
- Alcohol and sleep | Drinkaware
Sources
(a) 30.61% (307 of 1003) people surveyed answered ‘more than six times per week’ when asked ‘During an average week, how often, if at all, do you watch TV before bed?
(b) Of the 181 people surveyed who answered, ‘helps’ when asked ‘Do you think your bedtime ritual helps or hinders you from getting to sleep and why?’, 5 of them said that watching the TV helped them ‘feel sleepy’ and helps their ‘brain switch off
(c) 287 of 1003 people surveyed answered ‘more than six times per week’ when asked ‘During an average week, how often, if at all, do you scroll on your phone/laptop/mobile before bed?’
(d) Of the 129 people who said ‘hinders’ when asked ‘Do you think your bedtime ritual helps or hinders you from getting to sleep and why?’, 25 of them said that they felt the ‘blue light’, ‘bright lights’ and ‘eye strain’ were the main reasons why they struggled to get to sleep.
(e) 102 of 1003 people surveyed answered ‘four to six times per week’ when asked ‘During an average week, how often, if at all, do you read before bed?
(f) 18 of 94 people surveyed from East of England answered ‘six times per week’ when asked ‘During an average week, how often, if at all, do you read before bed?
(g) 36 of 86 people surveyed from Southwest England answered ‘never’ when asked ‘During an average week, how often, if at all, do you read before bed?’
(h) 21 of 134 people surveyed aged 16 to 24 answered ‘more than six times per week’ when asked ‘During an average week, how often, if at all, do you take a bath before bed?’ compared to 14 of 381 adults aged 55 and over who gave the same response.
(i) 11 people we surveyed gave responses such as ‘worrying’ ‘worried’ ‘thoughts’ ‘thinking’ ‘unable to switch off’ when asked ‘Do you think your bedtime ritual helps or hinders you from getting to sleep and why?’
(j) 69.39% (696 of 1003) people surveyed answered ‘never’ when asked ‘During an average week, how often, if at all, do you journal before bed?’ and 69.79% (700 of 1003) people surveyed answered ‘never’ when asked ‘During an average week, how often, if at all, do you meditate before bed?’
(k) 71 of 491 males surveyed answered ‘once a week’ when asked ‘During an average week, how often, if at all, do you journal before bed?’ compared to 51 of 512 females surveyed who gave the same response.
(l) 71 of 491 males surveyed answered ‘two to three times per week’ when asked ‘During an average week, how often, if at all, do you meditate before bed?’ compared to 49 of 512 females surveyed who gave the same response.
(m) 615 of 1003 people surveyed answered ‘never’ when asked ‘During an average week, how often, if at all, do you exercise before bed?
(n) 1.30 was the mean number of nights reported when we asked, ‘During an average week, how often, if at all, do you have sex before bed?
(o) 1.28 was the mean number of nights reported when we asked, ‘During an average week, how often, if at all, do you drink alcohol before bed?
(p) 35 of 134 people surveyed aged 16 to 24 answered ‘two to three times per week’ when asked ‘During an average week, how often, if at all, do you drink an alcoholic beverage before bed?’ compared to 50 of 381 people surveyed aged 55 and over who gave the same response.