How many people in the UK have sleep problems?
Whilst the number is undoubtedly significant getting a precise answer is problematic.
Firstly we would need to define sleep problems. In our clinic we have come across clients regularly getting 2-3 hours a night and thinking they don’t have a problem. Equally we’ve met people getting 9 hours plus who seem to think they are suffering with poor sleep.
Better Sleep operates out of an acupuncture clinic.
Frequently we meet clients who are initially seeking treatment for another condition. The standard acupuncture intake invloves asking all clients about their sleep. It’s at this point that we often discover poor sleep patterns. Addressing the poor sleep then becomes part of the solution to whatever the primary presenting condition was.
Sleep requirements do vary between individuals. But not by that much. We think you have significant sleep challenges if
- You are consistently getting less than 6 hours sleep a night.
- You usually feel tired first thing in the morning.
- Tiredness is frequently impacting on your work or domestic life.
From our clinical experience we would suggest that around 20% of the UK adult population have significant sleep challenges and perhaps 5% suffer from clinical insomnia.
In terms of other estimates about adult sleep problems. In the US , the National Sleep Foundation has suggested that one in three adults aren’t getting enough sleep.
Even more alarmingly one detailed study has suggested that up to 60% of university students have poor sleep quality whilst 8% have clinical insomnia.