28 March 2024, 11:19
By Furniture News Feb 17, 2017

Bensons reveals a sleep-deprived nation

New research released by Bensons for Beds reveals a growing sleepless society, with over 70% of 10,753 UK adults not getting the recommended eight hours of sleep per night.
 
The retailer asserts that the impact of lack of sleep is costing the UK economy over £1b in annual revenue, with 8% of workers claiming to call in sick due to feeling too tired after a poor night’s sleep, and a further 12% reporting to actually falling asleep at their desk or during a meeting.
 
Over half of women polled claimed that life stresses are the main reason preventing them from getting enough sleep, in contrast to four in 10 men stating that work stress is the key factor for having a sleepless night. Worryingly, one in five men admitted that the lack of shuteye impacts their overall work performance with concentration (68%) motivation (44%) and stress management (28%) also being negatively affected.
 
The results also show that it’s not just adults that are affected by lack of sleep. Children as young as three years old are not getting enough sleep throughout the night, with 22% of children aged three-17 not getting the recommend hours for their age groups.

Sleep is a crucial part of a child’s development, and parents believe that fewer hours affect their overall mood and wellbeing (54%), behaviour (26%), attention span (10%) and health (5%).
 
Interestingly, the rise of devices in the bedroom has negatively impacted children’s sleep, including TVs (48%) mobile telephones (40%) games consoles (30%) laptops and tablet computers (26%).

Plymouth is the most under-slept city, closely followed by Cardiff and Lincoln, with respondents claiming to experience more poor night’s sleep than good. In contrast to those residing in Doncaster, Leicester and Norwich, where residents claim to regularly get good quality sleep.

The detailed report is the second by Bensons for Beds in collaboration with Dr Guy Meadows, founder of The Sleep School, comments: “The results from this second national survey suggest a worsening of the UK's sleepless epidemic, with the number of adults reporting to get less than six hours sleep per night increasing from 46% to 53%.

"Worryingly, a similar pattern of sleeplessness is also evident in children, with over 20% of those aged between three and 17 years reported to not be getting the required sleep for their age. Given the importance of sleep for both children and adults in maintaining mental, emotional and physical health, such figures are deeply worrying for the long-term health of the nation."

Lynda Stretton, head of marketing for Bensons for Beds, adds: “At Bensons for Beds we know only too well the importance of sleep, which is why we continue to work with The Sleep School and undertake collaborative research. Identifying the factors that are affecting the way the nation sleep is the first step towards overcoming sleep related issues and finding solutions to resolve them.

"We are committed to continuing to improve the nation’s sleep, not only through our product offering but by working with Dr Guy to provide insights and advice to help people get a restful night’s sleep. It’s imperative for people to get a good night’s sleep, in order for them to perform to the best of their ability and to feel energised for whatever the day ahead holds.”

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