What’s Keeping You Awake at Night?
Rachel MarshallTossing and turning in bed disrupts your sleep and can leave you feeling tired and sluggish the next day.
But what’s making you restless?
We were curious to find out what stops us from drifting off into a peaceful night’s slumber. Is it the never-ending to-do list racing through our minds? Could an uncomfortable mattress be the culprit? Or is that extra cup of coffee to blame?
We surveyed 500 people across the UK to find out what’s really keeping us awake. Here’s what we uncovered.
How often do you struggle to get to sleep at night?
Feeling stressed, nervous, or full of anxiety before bed may make our brains think we are under threat and trigger the ‘fight or flight’ response. When this kicks in, energising hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol run through our bodies, preventing us from falling asleep. (1)
Unfortunately, our survey results reveal that a whopping 44% of adults experience anxious thoughts and worries at bedtime. (a) And it seems more women than men are night-time worriers, with 53% of females surveyed saying they often feel anxious before bed, compared with less than 35% of males. (b)
Those living in the Northwest of England had the highest number of people feeling anxious or worried before bed. More than 18% said they have anxious thoughts every single night; this was more than double those living in Greater London, where less than 5% have the same experience. (c)
What do you worry about?
Worry, stress, and anxious thoughts can all lead to high levels of cortisol flowing around our bodies. As a result, we are much more likely to toss and turn during the night. (1) But what are we worried about?
Finances
With the rising cost of living and unpredictable economic climate, it’s no surprise that money came out as the top concern and the main thing on people’s minds before they fall asleep. (d)
In fact, this was a particular worry for those surveyed aged 45 to 54, where 35% of people said finances were their biggest concern. (e)
Health and wellbeing
Just over 18% of those we surveyed said that their own health or the health of a loved one was the primary concern keeping them up at night. (f)
However, this was more common amongst older adults, as more than 33% of those aged between 45 and 54 said health and wellbeing was their number one worry, however, only 4% of those aged between 16 and 24 shared the same concern. (g)
Relationships
You’re not alone if you often think about your children, partner, family, or friends before falling asleep. We often wonder if we are doing enough for our loved ones, spending enough quality time with them, or if there was more we could be doing to help them.
Worrying about relationships was common amongst our survey respondents and a particular concern for women. Almost 15% of females said this was their main worry at bedtime, compared to just 9% of males surveyed. (h)
Job stress
It’s not surprising that work often creeps into our minds when trying to switch off at night. Worrying about job security, workload, and the day-to-day pressures that come with employment was a major concern for those living in the Southeast of England. More than 17% of people living there reported job stress as the main thing keeping them awake at night, compared to just over 7% of people living in the Northwest. (i)
Wider societal issues
It can feel overwhelming when you turn on the news and are bombarded with negative news stories from around the world. And it can be when we are trying to fall asleep at night that these news reports can come back into our minds, making it difficult for us to drift off to sleep. In fact, almost 10% of those surveyed said concerns about war, politics, current affairs, and changes to our environment often keep them up. (j)
What else might be to blame?
Too much caffeine
Of the 500 people we surveyed, more than 54% drink between one and three cups of coffee or tea daily (k) and more than 27% consume between four and five cups. (l) Four people we surveyed even said they drank up to 10 cups a day.
So, if you feel wired and are staring at the ceiling when you should be asleep, it might be worth looking at your caffeine intake. The stimulating effects can often stay in our bodies for several hours, so try to avoid drinking a brew too close to bedtime or switch to decaf to reduce the chance of it affecting your sleep. (2)
Feeling hot and cold
If it’s not caffeine perking you up, it could be the temperature of your bedroom. More than 41% of those surveyed said feeling too hot or too cold was the main cause of feeling uncomfortable at night. (m)
If this sounds like you, it might be time to invest in climate control bedding or a temperature regulating mattress to help you feel fresh all night.
An uncomfortable bed
42% of people surveyed mentioned their mattress, pillow or duvet as the main problem when trying to settle at night. (n)
If you think your bed might be keeping you up at night, why not pop in-store to chat with a team member about our sleeppro® service? This exclusive technology will analyse how you sleep and show you which firmness level will give you the best support.
What helps you fall asleep?
Switching off your device
More than 18% of those surveyed said switching off their tablet, phone, or computer earlier helped them fall asleep more easily. (o) If you can, activate the blue-light mode on your phone and set an alarm to remind you to switch off your device an hour before bed.
Listening to music
Listening to a podcast or music helped more than 22% of the males we surveyed unwind before bed. (p) Putting on some peaceful, relaxing tunes before bed may help calm you and prepare your body for sleep.
Slowing down your breathing
More than 26% of adults surveyed aged 16 to 24 said slowing down their breathing helped them off into a peaceful slumber. (q) Practising breathing techniques, such as box breathing, helps signal to your brain that you’re safe, which can help activate the ‘rest or digest’ response. (1)
Making a list
If you usually go to bed with your to-do list whirring around your head, it might help to write down what you need to do the following day. Try to prioritise and only write three things down to avoid feeling overwhelmed. This can be a great way to visualise your tasks and means you don’t need to worry about remembering them. (3)
If you’re looking for a new bed to help you drift off to a beautiful night’s sleep, we have a fantastic range of mattresses, duvets, pillows, and bed frames tailored to suit your needs. We also offer flexible finance options, so you don’t have to compromise comfort for budget. Browse our entire collection here.
REFERENCES
a) 221 of 500 people surveyed answered ‘yes’ when asked ‘Do you ever feel worried or have anxious thoughts at nighttime?’
b) 135 of 254 females surveyed answered ‘yes’ when asked ‘Do you ever feel worried or have anxious thoughts at nighttime?’ compared to 86 of 246 males surveyed who gave the same response.
c) 10 of the 55 people we surveyed from Northwest England answered ‘every night per week’ when asked ‘How often, if at all, during an average week, do you feel worried or have anxious thoughts at nighttime?’ compared to 3 of 66 people surveyed from Greater London who gave the same response.
d) 22.60% (113 of 500) people surveyed answered ‘finances (for example, worrying about rising cost of bills, interest rates)’, when asked ‘When you are experiencing anxious thoughts or worries at bed time, what do you worry/have anxious thoughts about the most?
e) 28 of 78 people surveyed aged between 45 and 54 answered ‘‘finances (for example, worrying about rising cost of bills, interest rates)’, when asked ‘When you are experiencing anxious thoughts or worries at bed time, what do you worry/have anxious thoughts about the most?
f) 92 of 500 people surveyed answered ‘health (your health or health of a loved one)’ when asked ‘When you are experiencing anxious thoughts or worries at bed time, what do you worry/have anxious thoughts about the most?
g) 26 of 78 people surveyed aged between 45 and 54 and 3 of 65 people surveyed aged 16 to 24 answered ‘health (your health or health of a loved one)’ when asked ‘When you are experiencing anxious thoughts or worries at bed time, what do you worry/have anxious thoughts about the most?
h) 38 of 254 females surveyed answered ‘relationships – with your partner/children/family/friends’ when asked ‘When you are experiencing anxious thoughts or worries at bedtime, what do you worry/have anxious thoughts about the most? Compared to 24 of 246 males surveyed who gave the same response.
i) 12 of 70 people surveyed living in Southeast of England answered ‘Job stress (for example, pressure at work, workload, job security)’ when asked ‘When you are experiencing anxious thoughts or worries at bed time, what do you worry/have anxious thoughts about the most?’ compared to 4 of 55 people surveyed living in the Northwest of England.
j) 5% (25 of 500) people surveyed answered ‘politics/war/current affairs’ and 4.60% (23 of 500) people surveyed answered ‘the environment’ when asked ‘When you are experiencing anxious thoughts or worries at bed time, what do you worry/have anxious thoughts about the most?’
k) 272 of 500 people surveyed answered ‘1-3 cups’ when asked ‘How many, if any, cups of coffee or tea do you drink per day?’
l) 138 of 500 people surveyed answered ‘4-5 cups’ when asked ‘How many, if any, cups of coffee or tea do you drink per day?’
m) 207 of 500 people surveyed answered ‘temperature’ when asked ‘What, if anything, would you say makes you the most physically uncomfortable in bed?’
n) Of the 500 people surveyed, 85 answered ‘mattress’, 80 answered ‘pillow’ and 45 answered ‘duvet’ when asked ‘What, if anything, would you say makes you the most physically uncomfortable in bed?’
o) 94 of 500 people surveyed answered ‘switching off my phone/computer/tablet’ when asked ‘What, if anything, do you do to help you switch off and fall asleep?’
p) 55 of 246 males surveyed answered ‘listen to music or a podcast’ when asked ‘What, if anything, do you do to help you switch off and fall asleep?’
q) 17 of 65 people surveyed aged 16 to 24 answered ‘practice slowing down my breathing’ when asked ‘‘What, if anything, do you do to help you switch off and fall asleep?’
SOURCES
1) Stressed? The Tools to Help You Sleep - Bensons for Beds
2) How caffeine affects your body (bupa.co.uk)
3) Stress: How to Manage Stress and Use it to Your Advantage | Sleep Hub - Bensons for Beds