Half the UK are struggling to sleep during lockdown, research finds

A new survey says that over half of the UK population is struggling with sleep during the lockdown. 

Research from King’s College London suggests that sleep problems are more common when people are facing financial hardship, something I think we can definitely all relate to. 

According to the research, two in five people have reported more vivid dreams, while some people have been sleeping for longer but not feeling rested.

The research took place via online interviews in late May with 2,254 UK residents aged between 16 and 75, and was carried out by Ipsos MORI and King’s College London. 

“As with so much about Covid-19, the crisis is affecting people very differently depending on their circumstances, and that includes the most fundamental aspects of life, such as sleep,” said Prof Bobby Duffy of King’s College London.

Nearly two-thirds of the public have reported a negative impact on their sleep showing just how unsettling the pandemic and lockdown measures have been on the public. 

As with most things, there are signs that this is having a disproportionate impact on particular groups; women, young people and those facing financial difficulties. 

Disturbed sleep is often caused by stress and can itself increase stress levels, which creates a vicious cycle which is difficult to break, according to Dr Ivana Rosenzweig of Kings College. 

On the other hand, the report also highlighted that a quarter of the participants reported that they were sleeping more. 

Rosenzweig said that this demonstrates that: “as a society, we simply do not get the chance to sleep as much as we need, and that this pandemic is allowing some of us to rediscover the importance of sleep”.

Previous research has already been done to explain why some people were suffering from vivid dreams throughout lockdown. 

Many people across the world have reported not only having more vivid and weirder dreams, but being able to fully remember them when they had woken up.

Although there are many contributing factors that stem from the lockdown, the main one being increased stress and anxiety in general, especially regarding finances.

Other reasoning comes down to much more specific factors. For instance, being home more means are home are warmer, and when you’re warmer during sleep you naturally have more vivid dreams.

Cabin fever, lack of social contact, more monotonous life and lie-ins are all also contributing to our weird dreams. 

If you are struggling with sleep here are some main points from the NHS on how to get to sleep and tips on tackling insomnia:

• Sleep at regular times – a good routine tricks the internal body clock
• Make sure you wind down, for instance, take a bath
• Make your bedroom a relaxing environment 
• Keep a sleep diary
• Increase exercise – getting active helps to relieve tension
• Cut down caffeine
• Avoid alcohol
• Try relaxing before bed such as gentle yoga, meditation or a warm bath
• Write your anxieties down before bed