London - Britain’s women would like at least 15 days more sleep each year than they get, says a survey of Britain’s sleeping habits.
They feel worse off than men – who reckon they are ten days short.
Overall, Britons say they need seven and a half hours a night, but they are getting fewer than six hours 40 minutes.
Experts believe insufficient sleep has become a worldwide epidemic, with chronic sleep deprivation linked to medical problems such as obesity, diabetes, cancer and immune deficiency. Previous US research even found lack of sleep could double the signs of skin ageing, including fine lines. This latest survey of 2 000 UK adults showed men claim to get less sleep than women – but also need less of it.
It revealed men were getting six hours three minutes sleep on average, compared with six hours 40 minutes they believe they should have – a sleep deficit of 40 minutes a night, adding up to ten days three hours over a year. Women claim to get six hours 21 minutes each night – but want seven hours 23 minutes. The sleep deficit of one hour two minutes a night equates to a staggering 15 days 17 hours annually.
Research suggests seven and a half hours of sleep is the optimum level for good health.
Earlier this year scientists at Surrey University found just one week of poor sleep can disrupt hundreds of genes linked to stress, immunity and inflammation.
The figures emerged in a survey for a new app, iCukoo, which allows users to donate to a charity of their choice every time they hit the snooze button on their phone alarm. Fewer than half of Britons actually wake up to an alarm. Almost a fifth wake naturally, and most of the remainder are awakened by partners, pets or children.
More men than women are woken up by their partners – 11.5 percent versus nine percent – and twice as many women are woken by children – 11 percent versus 5.5 percent.
Snoring by a partner kept one in ten awake while a further seven percent suffered because of their own snoring, according to a survey by OnePoll. - Daily Mail