Brits are collectively losing nearly 10 billion hours of sleep a year because they avoid confronting their worries during the day, a study claims. The poll of 2,000 adults found the average person struggles to sleep on three nights a week, typically losing 70 minutes of rest each time. Applied to the UK adult population of 55 million, this would total 9.8 billion hours annually.
Worries return at bedtime
One of the main possible reasons is that 74% push worries or difficult thoughts aside because they are too busy to deal with them. But for 81%, these thoughts tend to creep back in when they go to bed.
Research revealed that of the 48% who have had their day-to-day life affected by their mental wellbeing, 93% found it also impacts their nights. Despite these negative effects, 66% have accepted bad sleep as a fact of life.
Long-term sleep disruption
The average person experiencing disrupted sleep has been dealing with it for more than five years, while 19% have had difficulties for more than a decade. To help, Dreams has partnered with Mind and Scottish Action for Mental Health to create space for conversations about how people are really feeling and to know where to turn for support.
Resident sleep expert at Dreams Dr Zoe Williams said: “A bad night's sleep every now and then is something most of us experience. But this research shows how closely our nights and days can feed into one another.
“The things we're carrying during the day can follow us into bed, while a difficult night can affect how we feel the next day.
“That doesn't mean every restless night is a sign of a mental health problem. It's about noticing when something feels different and looking at your sleep alongside what's happening in the rest of your life, rather than automatically dismissing persistent sleeplessness as ‘just tiredness’.”
Night-time thoughts and support
The OnePoll.com data showed that more than half of those polled agreed that worries or difficult thoughts tend to feel worse when they return at night than during the day. When lying awake at night, the top thoughts include the future (32%) and finances (29%), while 21% described a general sense of unease they can’t identify.
Despite this, 65% have never sought support for sleep difficulties, mainly because they didn’t think it was a serious enough issue (33%). Rosie Weatherley, information content manager at Mind, says, “‘I’m just tired’ is such an everyday phrase that it can be easy to take at face value.
“Sometimes it simply means someone needs more rest, but it can also sit alongside worries, stress or difficulties with our mental health.
“Not every bad night’s sleep is a sign of a mental health problem, but if someone hasn’t been sleeping well for a while, asking how they’re feeling can help open up the conversation.
“And if poor sleep or changes in how you’re feeling persist or affect everyday life, you don’t have to wait until things feel unbearable before seeking support.”
Dr Zoe’s four top tips
Notice when sleeplessness becomes a pattern – One difficult night doesn’t necessarily tell you very much. Pay attention when something changes and stays changed, such as lying awake longer, waking more often, or regularly waking feeling unrested. When sleeplessness starts becoming a pattern, check in with how you’ve been feeling more generally.
Ask what else has changed – Sleep doesn’t happen in isolation, so look beyond what’s happening in bed. Are you feeling more anxious or irritable during the day, finding it harder to concentrate, or not feeling quite like yourself? Look at the wider picture of how you’ve been feeling, both at night and during the day.
Pay attention to what comes up when everything goes quiet – Thoughts put aside while busy can return once everything goes quiet. If the same worries repeatedly keep you awake, consider whether they need attention. You don’t have to wait until things feel ‘bad enough’ before talking to someone or looking for support.
If someone says they’re ‘just tired’, ask one more question – If someone tells you they’re not sleeping well, you don’t need to diagnose them, fix the problem, or have the perfect response. Simply asking ‘How are you feeling?’ or ‘Is anything keeping you awake?’ and giving them space to talk can be incredibly valuable.
