World Sleep Day study reveals Swansea as one of UK’s most sleep-deprived cities

By analysing the online search habits of UK citizens over the last 12 months, British Beds Direct say they’ve been able to determine which of the nation’s cities are struggling the most with their slumber – looking at which cities search the most per capita per year for queries such as “how to get a better nights sleep”, “why can’t I sleep” and “struggling to sleep.”

Most sleep-deprived cities revealed

York tops the sleep depravity chart with a whopping 1,606 monthly searches per capita for queries such as “why can’t I sleep at night” and “what to do when you can’t sleep”, further standing above the UK average number of searches for both of those terms by over 110%. 

Newcastle, Swansea and Belfast have inched in just behind York, standing as some of the UK’s sleepiest cities with over 1,000 searches per capita for sleep-aid-related concerns. 

Top causes of sleeplessness

We reached out to the UK public to discover exactly what issues keep them up at night the most. 

1. Money worries/cost of living crisis 

Of all the people we polled, 47.1% said that money worries and concerns around the current cost of living crisis keep them up at night and prevent them from getting a sound night’s sleep. It’s a completely understandable reason to be concerned, and resources are available online or at your local bank branch to help you combat any financial worries and get you back into a sound headspace that makes for a more peaceful slumber.

2. Children 

The second biggest cause of sleep loss will come as no surprise to those of you who are parents. Children were cited by 29.4% of people as their leading cause of sleepless nights, either because they co-sleep with their kids or because they have young children who struggle to sleep through the night. 

3. Health issues 

This is another key cause of sleeplessness, affecting 20.6% of people we spoke to. There are countless health conditions, whether mental or physical, that cause insomnia and disrupted sleep as a result. Key issues such as sleep apnea, heart disease, asthma, anxiety, and more can all lead to poor sleep hygiene and sleep depravity, sometimes resulting in worsened health like a vicious cycle. 

You can find the full investigation and tips for a better night’s sleep here.