23rd December, Officially the worst night’s sleep of the year

Dec. 20, 2011 - PRLog -- • Money worries & missing shopping deliveries keeping us awake
• Week before Christmas described as “stressful & busy”
• On the 23rd December we get the least sleep

According to research by Dreams Beds, the 23rd of December is the night we are most likely to lay awake in bed, worrying and missing out on sleep, in the run up to Christmas day.

With our wallets and purses tightly squeezed this year, it comes as no surprise to find money is the main cause for concern for 51% of us, closely followed by worries of presents not arriving on time. The younger generation have more money worries on their mind, with 54% saying their thoughts keep them awake, while the over 50’s sleep more soundly.

The survey, commissioned by Dreams Beds, asked 1000 people about their sleeping habits in the run up to Christmas. It found that 45% of us tend to stay up later; either partying the night away or wrapping presents. The rest of us tend to wake up early and, as a result, feel tired for the rest of the day.

When asked how to describe the week before Christmas, no festive cheer was to be found, with 89% stating they were busy and stressed. Only 7% find this week relaxing!

A divide between counties was also uncovered too, as those in the East Midlands will be rising earlier than all of us, on average between 5 and 7am on Christmas day. Those in the West Midlands are more likely to worry about gifts not arriving more than any other region. 22% of Londoners worry about family visiting over the Christmas break, compared to just 15% in Yorkshire.

With many of us not making it to our beds until well past midnight, we’ll be getting much less than the recommended 8 hours’ sleep.

Nick Wood, from Dreams Beds, said, “The results show it’s not just eating a big meal that sends us to sleep on Christmas day. It’s important to get as close to 8 hours sleep as you can, so try not to worry about things that are out of your control, late at night.

“We recommend preparing as much as possible, in advance and sharing responsibilities within families. Most importantly bedrooms should be kept present wrapping free; it should be a peaceful haven at the end of the day.”

Tips and advice on sleep and dreams can be found here http://sleeptalk.dreams.co.uk

Visit the Dreams Beds site here http://www.dreams.co.uk

ENDS

For further information and more stats from the survey, please contact:

Jessica Wilkinson
0113 391 2929
Jessica.wilkinson@stickyeyes.com