YAWN FEST: WHY BRITAIN NEEDS MORE SLEEP!
Despite our love affair with cosy nightwear, Britons rank internationally as the worst sleepers ever!
According to experts, quality sleep is dependent on more than just a consistent schedule and creating a sense of wellbeing. A recent survey revealed women wear the same nightwear for 17 nights in a row before washing, while men don’t fare much better at 13 nights! Since most of us put some effort into getting dressed in preparation for the day, surely this means we should approach bedtime the same way?
The sleepwear market grew a whopping 19% last year, but despite an increased interest in cosy PJs and fresh sleepwear, research across 14 countries revealed more than a third of UK adults lack sleep. Instead of the recommended eight hours a night, more Brits are awake in the midnight hours than ever before. At 38%, tired Brits outrank Ireland, France, the USA, Spain and Italy as the nation with the least amount of shut-eye. The best sleepers? India, where a mere 7% report a lack of z’s.
Our Sleep Habits Are Pretty Bad
Studies show our nation gets less sleep now than we did four years ago. Around 74% of us sleep less than seven hours a night and 12% of us clock less than five.
With the average adult waking up twice a night for around 18 minutes a time, we spend about 4.2 hours a week just trying to get back to sleep!
If you have trouble falling asleep in the first place, you’re just like most of us. The average adult spends up to three hours a week tossing and turning.
The most popular bedtime in Britain is between 10 pm – 11 pm, but one in five of us don’t go to bed until after midnight. Around 7% of us have erratic bedtimes with no routine at all.
FOMO Keeps Us Up at Night
Sleeplessness has many causes. Things like noise, kids, work, alcohol, caffeine and late-night partying are all contributors. Around 53% of us are kept awake by worries, while 13% report an uncomfortable bed as the culprit.
Totally unsurprising is our debilitating FOMO when it comes to technology and sleep. Around 79% of us are hooked on checking our mobiles before going to sleep, and 34% of us look at our screens within five minutes of waking up!
Maybe it’s work, maybe it’s someone special, or maybe you’re just addicted to Insta Stories, but by using your mobile before bed, there’s a good chance you’re sabotaging your beauty sleep!
Women Are More Sleep Deprived
The gender gap even impacts our nighttime slumber, with around 51% of women staying up at night worrying compared to just 39% of UK men. Women are also far more sensitive to a fidgeting partner, with 29% blaming lack of sleep on partner disturbance compared to just 19% of men.
It’s not all bad news though, because according to the Sleep Council, 82% of people who share their bed seem to report good quality sleep! #SharingIsCaring
Start Getting a Good Night’s Rest
Glorious night-time slumber! Banisher of under-eye circles. Booster of moods. Benefactor of better health and rest. A good night of sleep can improve memory, increase creativity, sharpen your attention span and balance your appetite. Never mind the blissful sense of wellbeing that comes with a solid night of snoozing! With so many amazing white noise and meditation apps available these days, we don’t even need to put down our mobile phones to make them useful for sleep!
Setting the Tone
Creating the right environment and choosing season-appropriate sleepwear can hugely impact comfort and temperature, two factors that play heavily into how well we rest at night. Our core body temperatures need to drop by about 1°C while our skin temperatures need to increase to successfully initiate sleep, and the insulation provided by comfortable sleepwear and good fabric like cotton and flannel can help maintain comfort throughout the night. Fit matters too, and comfy pyjamas give you much more freedom to move, stretch and snuggle into bed while sleeping.
Looking forward to a good eight hours tonight? Catching some z’s in style is a good place to start!
