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We Surveyed 15,000 People
Have you ever wondered how your sleep habits compare to the rest of the UK? And how have the nation’s slumber patterns changed over time? Because we have! And so, we conducted a sleep survey with 15,000 UK adults to find out how we sleep, and how our habits have changed from 2016 to 2022. Let us share the results with you…
Looking for the latest insight? Find the results for 2024 here
Sleep Survey
Firstly, let’s talk about the respondents of the sleep survey and break down their geographical area:
East Midlands 8% East of England 9% London 10% North East 5% North West 12% Northern Ireland 2% Scotland 7% South East 14% South West 9% Wales 5% West Midlands 10% Yorkshire and the Humber 9%
71% of the respondents are female and the total age range includes 18 to 65+. The most populated age group is 25 to 34 with 1/3 of the respondents falling into this category.
On average, respondents spend 7 hours 22 minutes in bed, in total, per night. And this is an increase of 8% since 2016.
On average, they reported spending 5 hours 55 minutes in bed actually sleeping. And this is a 6% increase since 2016.
In the 2024 UK Sleep Survey, respondents reported sleeping an average of 6 hours a night in bed, a 1.7% increase from 2022.
So, what were we doing in bed in 2022 while we weren’t asleep? Let’s find out…
Results
We asked everyone what activities they do in the hour before entering the land of nod. We found that the majority of respondents (55%) spend time watching TV before going to bed. Does this sound like you?
This was followed by:
We discovered respondents wake up throughout the night due to pain or discomfort on average 2.19 times per week, which is a 78% increase since 2016. They also reported having a disturbed, broken, or bad night’s sleep 3.64 times per week and this is a 9% increase since 2016. Only 4% said that they had never had one of these.
If you’re wondering why we are a nation of poor sleepers, here are the main reasons:
Only 5% of people said they always wake up feeling refreshed, which is a 38% decrease since 2016.
81% of people have shared a bed with a partner at some point in their lives. Over a quarter (27%) reported sleeping better when their partner isn’t/wasn’t in the bed with them. Considering that we saw sleep divorce trending earlier in the year, it makes sense that some people now prefer sleeping alone.
The things that respondents find annoying about sharing a bed are:
17% would rather have a pet than a partner with them in bed! Our little furry friends make the best company.
Almost two-fifths (39%) usually prefer to sleep in pyjamas.
A fifth (20%) prefer to sleep naked.
While 17% prefer to sleep in underwear only.
We asked the nation what part of getting into their bed they look forward to the most. Here’s what they said…
Here’s the average amount of times people change their bedding each week and a breakdown of their geographical area:
We found that respondents have been sleeping on their current mattress for an average of 5.57 years. We also asked about replacing all the other typical bed items, here are the results:
Bed frame average lifespan: 7.24 years
Pillow’s average lifespan: 2.33 years
Duvet average lifespan: 2.77 years
2016 vs 2022
How has the nation’s sleep quality changed? A lot has happened since 2016, let’s find out how and if it has impacted our much-needed shut-eye.
We found people now spend on average 8% longer in bed compared to 2016. Not only that, but the average amount of time spent sleeping like a log has increased by 6%. As a nation, we are spending more and more time in our bedrooms.
We looked into what we’re doing with our time here and found:
Next, let’s look at disturbed sleep, as the number of people reporting it has increased by 9.4% since 2016. An increase of 66% of participants said this is because of the use of mobile phones. And 25% more said it was due to worries about work.
The amount of people who wake up during the week because they are uncomfortable has increased by 78%, with a 550% rise in the number of individuals who report waking up more than 12 times each week.
We also found a 67% decrease in people waking up feeling refreshed in the morning.
Children are more often found in bed with a 65% increase in the number of people who report that their children spend the whole night in bed with them each week, which has resulted in an 89% increase in the amount of people who report they have arguments with children and a 66% increase in cuddles with children.
The influence of dreams over peoples’ relationships has increased by 750% as people said they have separated from a partner due to something they did in a dream. Since 2016, there has also been a 127% increase in individuals falling out with their other half because of something they did in a dream.
Sleeping harmoniously with loved ones has also slumped, with a 60% increase in people who report they have never had a good night’s sleep with their partner. There has also been a 71% increase in falling asleep before their companion gets into bed. And 31% decrease in having cuddles with them.
People have welcomed more friends and family members into their beds with a 330% increase in individuals who have family members join them in bed and a 43% increase for friends.
Pets have also seen a warmer welcome in everyone’s beds with an 18% increase in people who allow their pets into their beds. There has also been a 33% increase in individuals who would prefer a pet to a partner in their bed.
Screen entertainment has increased with a 47% increase in the number of hours people watch TV in bed and a 92% increase in the number of hours watching films.
Individuals online shopping in bed have increased by 127.8%, revealing that the average amount of time spent online shopping has increased by 206%.
People are spending more and more time on technological devices. There has also been an 88% increase in the average time spent on social media, as well as gaming, with a 43% increase in time spent.
Working in bed has increased too with a 210% increase in the average number of hours each week spent working along with a 124% increase in the percentage of people who work for 7-8 hours a week in bed.
The percentage of individuals sending emails in bed has increased by 27%, making phone calls increased by 50% and texting by 41%.
Sustainable disposal of old mattresses has seen a 25% decline in people who take their old mattresses to the tip and a 69% increase in giving them away. It’s great to hear that there has also been a 41% increase in the percentage of people who gave it to charity.
Since 2016, there has been a 4% drop in the life of a mattress and a 5% drop in the life of a bed frame. More significantly there has been a 25% drop in the lifespan of people’s pillows, a 29% drop in duvets and a 31% drop in sheets.
Most notably the percentage of people who change their sheets daily has increased by 335% and a 55% increase for changing sheets several times per week.
As a nation we are spending more time living in our beds, enjoying activities such as eating and drinking.
The time spent eating in bed at night has seen an 84% increase and drinking has increased by 52%. And not to forget planning for the next day with a 167% increase in the time spent making a to-do list.
Make sure you check out, The 2016 UK Sleep Survey and the latest 2024 Sleep Survey.
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