Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
One in five people fall asleep as soon as their head hits the pillow – but 17 percent are ‘ceiling watchers’ who just can’t nod off, according to research.
The survey of 2,000 UK-based people identified seven common types of sleeper, topped by the lucky ‘out like a light’ tribe who can fall asleep within minutes.
Other common types include ‘clock watchers’ who wake up several times a night to check the time (14 percent), and ‘late night scrollers’ (13 percent) who are glued to their smartphones until they fall asleep.
And 11 percent claim to be the ‘dancer’ – the one who tosses and turns and wriggles around without meaning to.
The study, commissioned by furniture retailer DFS, found just eight percent sleep straight through the night without waking up once.
And 95 percent have experienced not being able to snooze, no matter how hard they try – leaving 52 percent frustrated and 33 percent agitated.
Tactics to get back to sleep include just lying there and hoping to nod back off, reading a book and scrolling on social media.
Sleep expert and founder of The Sleep Care Company, Anne Marie Boyhan, said: “Everyone needs to sleep, but we all do it differently.
“When it comes to getting a good rest, there is no right or wrong but there are certainly some things to avoid, and late-night snacking and social media scrolling are usually advised against.
“There is nothing more annoying than wanting to sleep, but not being able to.
“To set yourself up for sleep success, I recommend turning your phone off at least one hour before bedtime to avoid blue light, making sure you stick to a strict bedtime routine such as journaling, brushing your teeth and diffusing soothing essential oils and investing in a great quality bed and mattress, to help you drift off with ease.”
The survey went on to find the average British person gets six hours and 25 minutes of sleep each night, but estimates they need more than seven hours to feel fully refreshed the next day.
Reading a book, fluffing up the pillows and drinking a glass of water before getting into bed are the top ways people try and nod off each night – with some even trying to count sheep (five percent).
Although 57 percent end up worrying about the next day which stops them catching the Zs.
And 32 percent have been the subject of a complaint when it comes to their sleeping habits, by someone they have shared a bed with.
Of those, 51 percent were snoring too loudly and 38 percent were guilty of wriggling around too much.
As many as 93 percent believe a good mattress is important when it comes to getting a solid night of slumber.
However, the average mattress is more than five years old and the bed frame is more than six.
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
“What’s the latest with Florida Man?”
Get news, handpicked just for you, in your box.