Changing Sleeping Habits

The Sleep Council’s Great British Bedtime Report provide a ground-breaking insight into the nation’s changing sleep habits.

Lisa Artis of The Sleep Council commented “The latest report is worrying on a number of fronts – particularly the facts which show we’re getting even less sleep now, the rise in alcohol consumption as a way of getting to sleep and the increase in couples who sleep apart.“On a more positive note, we’re pleasantly surprised to find less people are using technology in the bedroom before going to sleep – which is great news. TVs, laptops and games consoles all have a significant impact on our sleeping habits and using a gadget just before bed makes it harder to switch off mentally and wind down.”

• We’re getting even less sleep. Almost three-quarters (74%) of Brits sleep less than seven hours per night while the number of people who said they get less than five hours a night has grown from 7% to 12%. For many people (61% of those questioned in 2017), between five to seven hours a night is the norm.
• Drinking alcohol before bedtime has risen from 16% to 25% of those questioned with men (30%) more likely than women (20%) to have done so. Thirty per cent of people aged 45 – 54 also cited alcohol as something they use to help them nod off, making them the biggest users by age group.
• The trend for sleeping apart continues to grow. More than one in 10 of those questioned (12% as opposed to 8% in 2013) said they did not share the same bed as their spouse or partner. And nearly a quarter of couples (24% v 22%) now sleep apart at least some of the time.
• More people are buying bigger beds. The number of respondents who bought a king sized bed has jumped from 20% in 2013 to 32% this year. 2017 figures show that sales of standard doubles still make up the bulk of sales (to 47% of those questioned) with most people (41%) paying between £200 and £599 for their current bed.
• Surprisingly, the number of people using technology in the bedroom would appear to have declined since 2013, although the number of people checking their social media last thing at night showed a small rise from 8 – 9%. Checking emails has dropped from 14% to 6%; watching television just before going to sleep is down from 38% to 30%; and using laptops/tablets is down from 12% to 8%. Of those questioned in 2017, a surprisingly modest 38% said they kept and used a smartphone in the bedroom.

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