Over half of the British population are struggling with sleep during the lockdown, a study has shown.
Since the UK went into lockdown on Monday 23 May, many people have noticed significant changes to their sleep patterns. Some report feeling more tired and groggy, while others have experienced particularly vivid dreams.
Researchers from King’s College London carried out a survey of 2,254 British adults to examine how the Coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdown has impacted sleep. The study found that half of those surveyed felt their sleep had been more disturbed than usual, with 39% saying they have been sleeping a lot less than they normally would.
Interestingly, the study indicates that younger people were more likely to report changes to their sleeping pattern. Nearly half of the 16 to 24-year-olds reported sleeping fewer hours, compared to a third of respondents aged 35 and older.
Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute at King’s College London, explains that change in sleep patterns “is clearly tied to both how stressful we’ve found the virus itself, and how much we fear the impact of the lockdown on our employment and finances.”
University College London (UCL) is currently tracking in excess of 90,000 people to understand the impact of the pandemic on health and wellbeing. Research recently indicated that levels of anxiety and depression have fallen since the lockdown restrictions were eased. Whilst this is positive news, the levels being reported are still higher than usual averages, explains Dr Daisy Fancourt, lead author of the research, from UCL’s Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care.
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NB: This article is for information purposes, and does not constitute medical advice. If you are experiencing difficulty sleeping, or have symptoms which prevent you from sleeping well, you should contact your medical practitioner.
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