People are on the go 24/7 and whilst it’s good to be busy, it also means people are working unusual hours, meaning they have less time to sleep and spend more time worrying about what needs to be done.

There are around 80 types of sleep problems¹.  Insomnia is the most commonly reported mental health complaint within the UK² and is a big public health issue. Insomnia is when a person finds it hard to fall asleep or actually stay sleeping.

So…why do I need sleep and how much sleep do i need?

Sleep allows a person to rest and replenish their energy but also repair.  According to the sleep council, an average person spends around a third of their lives asleep².  There are lots of factors which relate to how much sleep you get from your age and gender through to how your general health is and other elements e.g. how much you have done in the day.

There are lots of different views on how much sleep you need, and ideally you need enough to feel refreshed for the next day to stay awake and alert. Here is a general guide from the Sleep Council on how much sleep you should be getting³:

^{1 Cleveland Clinic - https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11429-common-sleep-disorders}

^{2 NHS Choices – Sleep problems in the UK highlighted:  www.nhs.uk/news/lifestyle-and-exercise/sleep-problems-in-the-uk-highlighted/}

^{3 The sleep council, how much sleep do we need? sleepcouncil.org.uk/how-much-sleep-do-we-need/}