Ever wondered if you’re the only one struggling to sleep?
We delve into what is keeping us up at night – from stress and money to health and children – we take a look at the UK’s sleepiest cities.
As children, we are all told time and time again about the importance of a good night’s sleep. Whether we choose to listen or not is up to us. However, as we approach adulthood, getting a good night’s sleep becomes more and more significant.
The quality of your sleep can affect so many aspects of your life, from mental and physical health, to work life and relationships. Addressing poor or lack of sleep early on can help to improve your overall health, energy and mood.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, those aged 18-25 and 26-64 need between 7 and 9 hours sleep a night, while those over 65 need slightly less at around 7-8 hours. At The Cotswold Company, we wanted to investigate how well us Brits are actually sleeping.
Of the 2,000 people surveyed, we found that less than 10% are getting the recommended 8 hours a night!
How sleepy is your city?
You may not hail from London, but do you find yourself living in a city that never sleeps?
For those in Glasgow, things are the worst, with residents only getting on average, a shocking 3 hours and 49 minutes sleep a night! In contrast, those living in Bristol get around 5 hours and 13 minutes of undisturbed snoozing every night – but why are Glaswegians getting so little sleep?
Of the 596,000 residents living in the city, there are around 59,900 workless households. Could this 10% be worried or stressed about being unemployed and the lack of income to support themselves and their family? On the other hand, the biggest group of employed people in Glasgow work within the Health and Social Work sectors. Could the stress and pressure of these particular careers be attributed to the lack of sleep too?
The best sleepers by far were those in Bristol, with residents getting around 5 hours 13 minutes sleep a night. Could this be because only 11,800 working-age residents were unemployed in June 2017? A percentage of 4.6%, which is equal to the national (GB) average and the lowest of the British Core Cities Group.
What’s keeping us up at night?
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with something on your mind? Or perhaps it’s been far too hot for your liking?
Shockingly, nearly half of both men and women in the UK have interrupted sleep every night. Among the top 5 things keeping us up at night are stress and money, with 35% of Brits stating that stress is the key factor keeping them awake.
Have you fallen victim to losing out on some well-needed sleep because of Brexit news? If you have, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Over 3.25 million Brits are currently losing precious sleep time over thinking about our exit from the EU.
Could your job be affecting your career?
Do you have a high-stress job or work in demanding conditions? Have you ever thought about how your career could be affecting your sleep?
If you work in an installation, maintenance or repair occupation, then you are likely getting the least sleep of us all (3 hours and 50 minutes). Those who work within healthcare are the second least likely to get a good night’s rest (3 hours and 52 minutes).
Depending on the type of work you do, a lack of sleep could even increase the risk of danger in certain environments.
Health and Sleep
It may not be the first thing that springs to mind, but our eye health can suffer greatly in regard to lack of sleep, and in turn, this can affect both our mental and physical health.
When it comes to our eyes, any less than 5 hours sleep can be really detrimental for us and our health, and according to John Wilson of Pure Optical, “Missing out on a good night’s sleep can cause anything from eye spasms, burst blood vessels and even blurry vision from dry eye.
“These effects, while sounding minor, can cause massive disruption to your day at work or school. You’ll have less focus and concentration, meaning your productivity will be cut down. These disruptions can even become dangerous if you drive.
“For drivers, even minor eye spasms could cause you to take your eyes off the road and get into an accident, and this is before you even consider all the other issues a poor night’s sleep can do to you.”
A priority for us all
Regardless of your career choice and location of residence, sleep should be something we all need to be conscious of. As it affects so many elements of our life, from our health to our productivity levels at work, it needs to be as high-quality and undisturbed as it can be.
So, why not start by creating a welcoming and cosy bedroom in which to retreat to and relax in?
