Brits are spending the equivalent of more than a week collectively losing 10 billion hours of sleep a year[1] according to new research revealing what happens when the nation’s daytime worries follow them into the night.

A nationally representative poll of 2,000 UK adults, commissioned by Dreams[2] as part of its partnership with mental health charities Mind and SAMH, found 73% experience difficulties with their sleep at least sometimes, with the average person struggling almost three nights a week. Almost one in five (19%) have experienced sleep difficulties for more than a decade.

Yet poor sleep has become something many simply accept. Two thirds (66%) have learnt to live with sleep difficulties, while half (50%) consider them little or no problem.

This is at the heart of Dreams’ Better Sleep. Better Minds. mission and partnership with Mind and SAMH: shining a light on the relationship between sleep and mental wellbeing and helping people recognise when something doesn’t feel right.

While 87% recognise that poor sleep can affect mental wellbeing, just a third (34%) acknowledge that regular poor sleep can be a sign that something else isn’t right.

For many, bedtime is when daytime worries return. Almost three quarters (74%) at times put difficult thoughts aside while they are busy, with 81% of those saying they come back when trying to sleep. More than half (52%) say worries keeping them awake feel worse at night.

So, what is actually running through our minds when sleep won’t come?

Worries about the future and tomorrow’s to-do list top the list (both 32%), followed by money and finances (29%), while 21% describe a general sense of worry or unease they can’t put their finger on.

For those whose mental health or wellbeing has affected their day-to-day life, 56% spend more time awake worrying or overthinking when their mental wellbeing feels worse than usual, while 54% find it harder to fall asleep.

Yet these experiences are often condensed into two familiar words: “just tired”. Six in 10 (61%) have told someone they were “just tired” when something else was affecting how they felt.

And many still don’t feel their sleep difficulties warrant seeking support. Almost two thirds (65%) of those who have struggled with their sleep have never sought information, advice or support, or spoken seriously to someone about it – with a third (33%) of those who hadn’t spoken to anyone saying they didn’t think it was serious enough.

Rosie Weatherley, Information Content Manager at Mind says: “‘Feeling tired is common. Sometimes it can mean you had a one-off, rough nights sleep. But it can also be a symptom of worries, stress or difficulties with our mental health.

“While not every bad night’s sleep is a sign of a mental health problem, if someone hasn’t been sleeping well for a while, asking how they’re feeling can help open up the conversation. And if poor sleep or changes in how you’re feeling persist or affect everyday life, there is support available.”

That leaves a gap between knowing there is a connection and feeling that our own experience is worth paying attention to – and it’s this gap that Dreams, Mind and SAMH hope to help close through their partnership. Together, they want to make it easier to recognise when something has changed, create space for conversations about how people are really feeling and know where to turn for support.

And those conversations may be more welcome than we assume. Seven in ten (70%) say they would take someone seriously if they told them they hadn’t been sleeping well, while almost half (47%) would ask whether anything was worrying them.

Dr Zoe Williams MBBS, DRCOG, MRCGP, Resident Sleep Expert at Dreams, says: “A bad night’s sleep every now and then is something most of us experience. But this research shows how closely our nights and days can feed into one another. The things we’re carrying during the day can follow us into bed, while a difficult night can affect how we feel the next day.

“That doesn’t mean every restless night is a sign of a mental health problem. It’s about noticing when something feels different and looking at your sleep alongside what’s happening in the rest of your life, rather than automatically dismissing persistent sleeplessness as ‘just tiredness’.”

When you’re lying awake at night, the instinct can be to focus on one thing: getting back to sleep. But Dr Zoe says it can be just as important to consider what’s keeping you awake, how you’re feeling beyond the bedroom and whether a persistent change in sleep might be worth paying attention to:

1. Notice when sleeplessness becomes a pattern
“One difficult night doesn’t necessarily tell you very much. What’s worth paying attention to is when something changes and stays changed. Perhaps you’re suddenly spending longer lying awake at night waiting for sleep to come, waking more often, or regularly waking feeling unrested. That doesn’t mean assuming there is something wrong, but when sleeplessness starts becoming a pattern, take a moment to check in with how you’ve been feeling more generally.”

2. Ask what else has changed
“Sleep doesn’t happen in isolation, so try looking beyond what’s happening in bed. Are you feeling more anxious or irritable during the day? Finding it harder to concentrate or cope with things you’d usually manage? Or simply not feeling quite like yourself? Rather than writing an ongoing change off as ‘just tiredness’, look at the wider picture of how you’ve been feeling – both at night and during the day.”

3. Pay attention to what comes up when everything goes quiet
“Thoughts we put aside while we’re busy can return once everything goes quiet. If the same worries are repeatedly keeping you awake, consider whether they need some attention too. You don’t have to wait until things feel ‘bad enough’ before talking to someone or looking for support.”

4. If someone says they’re ‘just tired’, ask one more question
“If someone tells you they’re not sleeping well, you don’t need to diagnose them, fix the problem or have the perfect response. Simply asking ‘How are you feeling?’ or ‘Is anything keeping you awake?’ and giving them space to talk can be incredibly valuable.”

Find information and support through the Dreams x Mind Relaxation Hub, Mind and SAMH’s services, alongside detail of Dreams’ funding of support over the World Mental Health Day weekend.

Dreams will also donate £5 from every purchase made in-store and online between 9-12th October to its charity partners Mind and SAMH.