It has been revealed that the average British couple actually prefer sleeping alone. The unromantic results emerged in research that found that over 30% of British couples prefer solitary slumber; no surprise when the average Brit endures 12,584 sleepless nights over the course of their lifetime.
Findings show that the other half can also have a hand in poor sleeping habits- almost a quarter of all Brits claim their partner’s snoring ruins their sleep, compared to only 2% who are stirred by an offer of romance.
Surprisingly, 6% of Brits are even woken by their partner mumbling or stumbling in their sleep.
A restless one in twenty of those studied said they wake up 5 times every single night.
The findings emerged in a sleep report conducted by hotel chain Premier Inn, who studied the sleep patterns of 4000 Brits, which also found that the average person aims for 7 hours of sleep every night.
Three quarters of those polled never achieve this, leaving a quarter cross and short tempered during the following day, and 30% absolutely exhausted by the time they go to bed.
Claire Haigh, spokeswoman for Premier Inn said:
‘’Over 12,000 disturbed nights over a lifetime sounds a vast figure but it’s an affliction many will be able to relate to.
‘’The results show that being tired after a bad night’s sleep can really take its toll on our productivity at work, our mood and our behaviour towards others.
‘’Our sleep index highlights just how many millions of people fail to get a full and good night’s sleep and shows how a lack of sleep can really impact on our day to day lives.”
The study found that 17% say they remain in a foul mood all day if they haven’t had enough shut-eye.
One in ten employees said they were likely to take out their sleep deprivation on colleagues – although partners bear the brunt of the insomnia.
The study also found it takes the average person just over 20 minutes to drop off after turning off their bedside light.
Not surprisingly, the day of the week that adults sleep best is a Friday night with Mondays being the worst.
The sleep report additionally found that 45% of people rely on an alarm clock to wake them up, although one in ten depend on the kids coming in their room to rouse them.
Surprisingly, nearly a third of people claim to wake up completely naturally during the week, but this increases to nearly two thirds on a weekend.
The study found that on a weeknight the average adult hits the sack at 10.48 pm but this extends to 11.18pm on a weekend.
Professor Kevin Morgan AcSS PhD AFBPsS, University of Loughborough, commented:
“These results confirm that sleep disturbances are the most commonly reported psychological symptom in Britain, affecting our health, our relationships and our efficiency at work.
‘’Improving the nation’s sleep quality could make a major contribution to the wellbeing and prosperity of Britain.”
