Poor sleepers have poor life quality

POOR sleepers are four times more likely to have relationship problems and three times more likely to be unable to concentrate as those who get enough rest, according to a new report.

Mild, moderate or severe insomnia also causes issues with getting things done, while sufferers experience energy slumps and are three times more likely to feel low.

Not enough sleep over the long term is also linked to health problems such as heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

Of more than 5,300 people surveyed for the sleep survey in Britain, 37% had some form of insomnia and 24% had other sleep-related problems such as teeth-grinding, sleeping excessively, or sleep apnoea, where the airway is obstructed and people can struggle for breath. Some 39% of the total sample said they slept well.

Professor Colin Espie, director of the Glasgow University Sleep Centre, said: “The survey data show the extent to which sleep disorders can inhibit the very essence of who we are: our relationships, our ability to complete day-to-day tasks.

“These factors in turn have an impact on our health — sustained periods of low mood, relationship difficulties and lack of exercise due to low energy levels, for example, are all notable causes of mental health problems such as depression.

“They also affect our wider society. The diminished concentration levels and ability to complete tasks revealed by the survey, combined with the health consequences, also affect our productivity at work or in education.

“We can no longer just ignore the impact of sleep problems in this country. They are affecting our health, our economy, and our everyday happiness.”

The report showed people with insomnia were around four times more likely to have relationship problems (55% compared to 13% of those who slept well), and three times more likely to experience low mood (83% compared to 27%).

They were also three times as likely to lack concentration during the day (78% compared to 26%), three times as likely to struggle to “get things done” at work or elsewhere (68% compared to 23%) and more than twice as likely to suffer energy slumps (94% compared to 42%).

The report also recommends a range of interventions to improve the sleep including providing GPs with up-to-date training.