As Brits, we’re known as an eccentric bunch, and that extends to our bedrooms. It won’t surprise you to learn that at Bensons for Beds, we’re fanatical about sleep… some of us even dream about sleep when we’re sleeping!
Well, naturally we wanted to find out everything there is to know about British sleep habits and how our sleep patterns can affect us. That’s why we’ve scoured our sources and created this Great British Sleep Summary. A one-stop info shop for everything in the land of nod.As it turns out, we’ve got plenty of good habits, a few bad and a couple that truly set us apart from other countries. Let’s take a look.
As it turns out, we’ve got plenty of good habits, a few bad and a couple that truly set us apart from other countries. Let’s take a look.
We all know that sleep is essential and if we a) don’t get enough of it, or b) don’t get quality sleep, we feel terrible the next day… just ask anyone with a newborn!
But what happens when we consistently don’t get enough sleep? Well, as it turns out, it’s not just parents who could do with catching a few more ZZs. Millions of Brits are sleep deprived and it can have significant and unexpected consequences on society as a whole.
According to a 2022 study conducted by Direct Line, 71% of Brits do not get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night, with 14% (7.5 million people) getting less than 5 hours, levels which are considered “dangerously low”.
The 2023 Nuffield Health Healthier Nation Index Survey found that Brits get 5.91 hours of sleep per night, on average, down from 6.11 and 6.19 in 2022 and 2021, respectively. It also found that 11% of respondents get between 2-4 hours, and 36% get between 4-6. Just 8% of us get more than the recommended 8 hours.
Nuffield’s 2022 Healthier Nation Index also found that sleep quantity directly correlates with household income. People with household incomes of £15,000 or lower get less sleep than those on incomes over £75,000.
Additionally, Mental Health UK identified that Women, Black, Asian and other minority ethnic adults are disproportionately likely to experience poor sleep as a result of social inequality.
According to The National Sleep Foundation, our sleep requirements change with age and lifestyle, and their guidelines show just how much you should be getting. Are you?
| Category | Hours of Sleep Needed Per Day |
|---|---|
| New-born babies | 14-17 hours |
| Children | 9-11 hours |
| Adolescents | 8-10 hours |
| Adults up to 64 | 7-9 hours |
| Adults over 64 | 7-8 hours |
The 2022 YouGov Sleep Study found that more of us consider ourselves night owls (44%), compared to 33% of us who identify as early risers. Broken down by age, 51-59% of 16-39-year-olds call themselves night owls compared to just 37-40% of over 40s.
This trend is continued when looking at when we go to bed. 39% of 16-24 year olds report going to bed at a different time each night compared to just 20% of over 60s. In total, 71% of Brits maintain the same bedtime, with 85% of early risers sticking to a routine.
Between 10 pm and midnight is by far the most popular time to sleep, with 71% of British adults hitting the sack in the later hours compared to just 12% before 10 pm and 15% after midnight.
Again, we see it broken down by age and gender lines. 17% of 16-24-year-olds go to bed after 1 am, compared to 12% of 25-39-year-olds and 8% of over 40s. Men are also more likely than women to stay up late, with 43% staying up after 11:30 pm compared to just 32% of women. It seems there’s a good reason for this.
In 2024, a team of researchers University of Southampton in the UK, and Stanford University and Harvard University in the United States discovered variations in men’s and women’s body clocks and circadian rhythms
Women also tend to take longer to fall asleep, with 20% more likely to take over an hour to drift off compared to 14% of men.
“Melatonin, a hormone that helps with the timing of circadian rhythms and sleep, is secreted earlier in women than men. Core body temperature, which is at its highest before sleep and its lowest a few hours before waking, follows a similar pattern, reaching its peak earlier in women than in men.”
Dr Sophie Bostock
