89% need more than 7hrs sleep per night, 4% claim to need 10hrs, and 3% sleep for 4 hours or less
There is a strong consensus among the British public that they need more than seven hours of sleep per night, our poll shows. When considering how many hours of sleep Britons feel they need personally, many say they need more than seven hours of sleep to feel "at their best."
- In total, almost 9 out of 10 (89%) say they "need more than 7 hours of sleep" per night
- Of those people, half say 8 hours is the best amount, while around a quarter (23%) need 7 hours will do
- 12% say they need a bit more sleep, with 9 hours leaving them at their best
- 4% say 10 hours is best for them
- None of our respondents say they personally need 11 hours or more
- 8% say “less than 7 hours of sleep” is best to revitalise them, and the majority of this group (7%) say they manage best at 6 hours' sleep
- A mere 1% of Brits claims 5 hours sleep to be enough for them
- None of our respondents feel that 4 hours or less is best
How much sleep do you actually get?
On average, more than half of Britons say they get seven hours of sleep or more per night. However, when recharging after a day's activities, around 2 in 5 people claim to get less than seven hours of sleep, with some claiming to get only four hours or less.
- In total, 62% claim to "get more than 7 hours sleep” per night
- Of those people, just under 2 in 5 (38%) get the recommended 7 hours
- Around one fifth (19%) manage to get 8 hours per night
- A small percentage gets 9 hours (4%) and even fewer people get 10 hours (1%)
- None of our respondents claim to get 11 hours or more
- In total, 37% get less than 7 hours sleep per night
- Around a quarter manage get 6 hours of sleep per night (24%)
- 10% get 5 hours of slumber
- 3% get only 4 hours or less
A recent report on the effects of sleeping patterns has been published in the European Heart Journal that explores the dangers of different sleeping patterns. The study followed up evidence spanning seven to 25 years from more than 470,000 participants across eight countries.
According to researchers from the University of Warwick, Professor Francesco Cappuccio and Dr Michelle Miller, a chronic lack of sleep increases your risk of developing heart disease, strokes and other conditions such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes and obesity. Professor Cappuccio has been quoted by the Guardian, advising that "by ensuring you have about seven hours' sleep a night, you are protecting your future health, and reducing the risk of developing chronic illnesses.
“The link is clear from our research: get the sleep you need to stay healthy and live longer."
