The state of the nation’s sleep has come under scrutiny as more people admit they’re unhappy with the quality of their sleep.
As a result of this more people are saying it is impacting on their ability to function daily.
Close to half of the respondents (43%) are now finding it harder to fall asleep, with unease around the current situation affecting sleep for three-quarters of people (75%)
While more than one in 10 people (12%) are experiencing severe symptoms of depression. Women are much more likely to report depressive symptoms in the moderate-severe range than men
Alarmingly over three quarters (77%) say lack of sleep is interfering with their ability to function in the day. As a result, they say it is impacting their concentration and also mood.
The survey also showed that women are suffering more than men with anxiety around coronavirus. It also showed they are twice as likely to report feeling stressed compared to men.
Another interesting observation since the lockdown is the increase in more vivid dreams. Women are also according to study experiencing this more than men.
More Than 2,700 People Took Part In Survey
More than 2,700 people took part in the National Sleep Survey to provide an overview of the nation’s sleep during the COVID-19 global pandemic – the biggest UK survey of its kind to date on this subject.
And it found that the coronavirus was affecting all aspects of sleep. Nearly four in 10 people (39%) are now going to bed later but also believe that the amount of sleep they get is shorter than normal. Nearly a third (30%) are also waking earlier. Significantly, women find it harder to fall asleep (46%) with men more likely to report no change or slightly longer sleep duration.
Five weeks into lockdown, close to half (45%) found there is no change to how difficult they find it to stay asleep. However, the other half (46%) of respondents found that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to stay asleep. This suggests that this problem could worsen as lockdown continues. And women (40%) – who already find it harder to fall asleep – also have greater difficulty staying asleep than men (33%).
“Sleeping well is crucial to our physical and mental health and wellbeing,” said Lisa Artis, head of The Sleep Council. “With people experiencing signs of depression and reporting that lack of sleep is impacting on their mood, concentration and how tired they feel in the day, we need the government to take action.
“We have been exposed to lots of government advice around diet, exercise and how to look after our mental health during these challenging times. However, we’ve not heard anything concrete around sleep. Yet it has never been more important.”
Sleep Being Disrupted By COVID-19
Dr Neil Stanley added:
“Given that millions of Brits have been impacted by the coronavirus in some way, it’s no wonder three-quarters of those surveyed feel ‘corona-anxiety’ is affecting their sleep.
“Women are almost twice as likely to report this feeling than men. This may be down to juggling ‘homeschooling’ and working from home. Sleep is hard when anxiety levels are high.”
The survey findings come amid rising concern that these unprecedented times are causing a surge in sleep issues.
A lack of support, or lack of awareness of the help available for those issues, could have a lasting impact.
Alison Gardiner, the founder of Sleepstation, added:
“Not surprisingly, an inconsistent sleep schedule, coupled with stress, is leading to a number of issues around sleep.”
“What’s troubling to learn is that more than half of the respondents are unsure where to go for help.”
“With 41% considering themselves to have a sleep problem, this is of particular concern for services like ours.”
