Top reasons keeping people awake at night and 10 expert tips to help sleep

There’s nothing better than climbing into your bed at the end of a long day or curling up for a lie-in on a weekend. Most adults need around seven to nine hours of sleep each night to feel their best, but everyone’s different.

Factors like age, stress levels, and genetics can influence how much shuteye you need. That said, Roseland Furniture ran a survey to discover what keeps people awake at night, or has impacted their sleep, in the last 12 months.

The findings revealed that an overwhelming majority (90.7 per cent) of us are susceptible to physical, emotional, situational, and environmental factors that can impact sleep quality, and highlighted that women were more likely to struggle with their sleep compared to men overall.

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The research also emphasised the importance of good sleep hygiene - a set of habits and practices that promote consistent, quality sleep. It includes routines that signal to your body when it's time to rest, like keeping regular hours of sleep, limiting screen time before bed and creating a comfortable sleeping environment.

Illness or health condition symptoms is the top aspect keeping UK residents awake at night, with over a third of those surveyed said these factors were impacting their sleep.

Health related worries was the second most common scenario keeping us awake at night with almost a third choosing this option. This was the top answer for those based in Glasgow (38 per cent).

Poor mental health in its own right was also amongst the top five scenarios keeping adults awake at night. Looking at the top five scenarios keeping men and women awake at night, the key differences included that poor mental health featured in the top five for women, but not for men. Grief is also keeping more than one in ten of us awake.

Creating the right bedroom environment is crucial for a good night’s sleep. The room being too hot or too cold were issues for people. Those based in Edinburgh gave too toasty a temperature as their top answer, in fact.

Expert advice states that you should strive for a cool temperature in your bedrooms of between 15-19C, which helps your body achieve its optimal core temperature for deeper, more restful sleep as it naturally lowers during the sleep process. Maintaining a comfortable temperature around 18 degrees centigrade is ideal.

If you are a light sleeper during the colder months, the experts advised that you invest in some new bedding, such as a higher tog duvet, or sleep socks are a more affordable option to help avoid cold feet.

Light pollution was a bugbear, as was external noise. However, it’s not just noise from outside the house which can be an issue. Internal noise - a family member snoring or loud appliances/TV - is also amongst the top ten scenarios keeping us awake at night.

Glasgow residents in particular struggle with this, with 23.9 per cent of residents in the city choosing this answer. If you are sensitive to sound, you could try blocking out the noise with earplugs.

Relationships and family play a part in getting a good snooze, too. Romantic relationship issues are keeping millions awake at night. Having sex has also affected sleep for 6.9 per cent of us. Most people report having better sleep after partnered or solo sex as sex can impact sleep in a positive way through hormone release.

On the flip side, getting up to feed babies or dealing with young children waking up throughout the night is influencing sleep for many parents across the UK – 7.4% of our survey respondents chose this option.

Pet-related issues (such as needing toileting, or showing disruptive behaviour) is interrupting sleep for the UK’s pet owners, while for others, financial or money-related worries like debt, bills, and cost of living came into play.

Work worries, thinking about upcoming plans, nightmares, and Late night creativity or inspiration is impacting sleep for almost one in ten of us, as is environmental worries. For both of these aspects, Glasgow came out on top.

With all the above in mind, Dr Paul Wallang shared 10 tips and tricks on how to have better sleep.

10 tips to help you sleep better

1. Stick to a fixed, regular and consistent bedtime and wake up schedule

2. Prioritise sleep over most other activities and interests

3. Avoid having a nap during the day, but if necessary do not sleep over 30 minutes

4. Avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks 6 hours before sleep

5. Eat light and have dinner 3 hours before sleep (heavy meals or hunger disrupt sleep)

6. Limit screen time to avoid phone and gadgets 2-3 hours before bedtime

7. Avoid smoking or vaping before sleep

8. Avoid working late, try to slow down and relax before sleep

9. Create the right environment and calming bedtime rituals conducive for sleep

10. Maintain a comfortable temperature around 18 degrees centigrade

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