Snoring, restlessness, and hogging the bed or the duvet, are some of the top sleep disturbances that Brits blame on their partners, a study has found.
A poll of 2,000 adults, who sleep in the same bed as their other half, found that four in 10 believe that doing so is causing their sleep to be interrupted.
Other ways in which their partner disturbs their slumber include sleep-talking, using technology at bedtime – and falling asleep with sound playing too loudly through their headphones.
In fact, 36% of those polled reckon that the use of electronic devices when they are trying to get some shuteye is the main thing negatively affecting their sleep – with their biggest bugbears being the TV left on, and blue light from devices illuminating the room.
Respondents claim they are averaging less than seven hours of sleep each night – six hours and 53 minutes – with only half of this (53%) considered to be deep, uninterrupted sleep.
Amanda Holden among stars fronting Comic Relief as Red Nose has 'makeover'And as such, a third of those polled feel they do not get enough quality sleep – and over four in 10 (42%) have even tried sleeping in a different room to their partner, in an effort to rectify this.
The survey was commissioned by Premier Inn, which has released a sleep etiquette guide with tips on how to ensure you and your partner get the perfect night’s sleep.
Sleep expert Hannah Shore, from Silentnight, who has worked with the hotel chain on the guide, said: “The research has shown a real variance of routines are had across the UK. While a good number share a harmonious sleep schedule, others are finding their night’s sleep is interrupted by their partner.
“Technology can play a part in causing disruption, mainly with its use while someone else tries to nod off – so there’s definitely work to be done on ensuring everyone enjoys getting their rest without a negative impact.”
Common disruptive happenings at bedtime include other halves staying up to watch TV shows they like once their partner has gone to bed, and scrolling through social media between the sheets.
It also emerged that, of those who have slept in a separate room so as not to be disturbed by their other half, 19% do so often – and 4% every night.
However, six in 10 are left feeling guilty if they do interrupt their partner in some way – and 29% think they could do with aligning their routine more with their bed mate.
Meanwhile, one in four say they and their partner tend to head to bed at different times – and, if doing so, 41% will try their best to sneak in as quietly as possible. However, almost half the time (45%), they are not successful when it comes to not waking their partner.
When it comes to technology, more than a third (35%) of those polled, via OnePoll, believe it can play a positive part in the bedtime routine.
Relaxation apps, white noise machines, and blue light filters were seen as the top benefits, while 24% enjoy the use of sleep tracking apps. That said, 43% find their partner’s use of technology at bedtime annoying.
Vital to celebrate Windrush pioneers, says Lenny Henry ahead of 75th anniversaryThe sleep etiquette guide produced by Premier Inn has been created to allow readers to better incorporate technology into their routine, without annoying their partner – including what volume setting to go for when listening to things like sleep podcasts.
Sleep expert, Hannah Shore, added: “We’ve created a sleep etiquette guide to help people make little tweaks to their routines, that can bring great reward – and great rest.
“The research showed an average of less than seven hours sleep, and half of that being interrupted, so there’s definitely room for improvement. Simple things such as agreeing times to put phones down, hit the lights, or even allowing others to get to sleep first, can make all the difference.”
And if you need some help nodding off to sleep, the brand has launched its new Rest Easy Stories podcast series, narrated by Sir Lenny Henry.
TOP 10 WAYS SLEEP IS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED:
SLEEP EXPERT HANNAH SHORE'S TOP SLEEP TIPS: