These are the reasons you’re exhausted at work

Almost of third (30%) of the UK suffers from a poor quality of sleep, with women being 10% more likely to have a bad night than men, a new survey has revealed.

Snoring partners were the most common reason for a disturbed sleep, with 22% of people saying this keeps them up at night. This is a much bigger problem for women, with 27% of sufferers being female, compared to just 16% of men. Illness and injury (19%) and noisy neighbours (12%) were also among the most common disturbances.

The survey by 247 Blinds also uncovered some alarming bad habits before bed across the country. More than one in 10 typically drink alcohol before bed while one in six (18%) use a smartphone and almost a quarter (24%) use a computer. Men were twice as likely to drink alcohol before bed.

The brand has collected the data into a map, where users can explore the sleeping habits of each region in the UK.

Sleep expert Maryanne Taylor from The Sleep Works offered her advice as a response to these findings: “Stress and anxiety can be a huge factor in our sleep and raised adrenalin levels can inhibit the production of the hormone melatonin, which is essential for restful sleep.

“Ensure you have a relaxing lead-up to bedtime – switch off all screens for an hour before bed, have a bath, write a to-do list for the next day, keep lights dim and listen to music or read a book.”

Ms Taylor also commented on eating habits before bedtime: “Eat a light, low-carbohydrate dinner in the evening and not too close to bedtime. Heavy, spicy meals eaten too late can upset the digestive system at night.”

When it came to helping getting to sleep, listening to music (19%), taking sleeping medication (17%) and using a blackout blind (17%) were the most popular aids.