If quality sleep feels like a pipe dream, you’re not alone. The results of our big sleep survey are in, and none of us are getting enough. In fact, 73% of GH readers consistently struggle with their sleep, 48% don’t get the recommended seven to nine hours and only 5% consistently sleep through the night.
When asked to tell us about your routine, you didn’t hold back. ‘It seems so long since I’ve had a good night’s sleep’, said one reader. ‘Modern life is too stressful to ever sleep properly,’ another told us, while ‘I’m tired 90% of the time’ was another worryingly relatable insight. It’s no wonder, then, that almost a third of you (31%) would plump for great sleep for life over a £1m lottery win.
More than 1,400 of you responded to our survey about your sleep habits, helping us to uncover what’s really keeping you up at night.
Alongside needing to pee (68%), stress (50%) and sleep anxiety (23%), one very common sleep disruptor is snoring (whether yours or your partner’s), with a whopping 87% of you saying it impacts your ability to get to sleep and stay snoozing. Some of you have tried products such as anti-snore pillows, earplugs and nasal strips, but the results have been, well, mixed.
Snoring is also a major reason why more than half of GH readers (51%) are open to the idea of a sleep divorce, which is when you sleep in a separate bed or room to your partner.
Aside from snoring, 35% of you are bothered by your partner’s tossing and turning, and 25% struggle with overheating when you’re sleeping next to another sweaty body. Not quite ready to consciously uncouple in the bedroom? Some couples swear by separate duvets instead…
If snoring is an issue, we've tested the best anti-snore pillows and the best earplugs for sleeping.
The menopause problem
Sleep issues are even more prevalent for women going through perimenopause and menopause, with 81% saying they have trouble sleeping. Insomnia (73%), night sweats (71%) and hot flushes (70%) are the biggest disruptors, but almost half (49%) are also disturbed by snoring, sleep apnoea and restless leg syndrome. ‘Since perimenopause, my sleep has been bad’ and ‘I’ve never had a full night since’ are just some examples of the responses we had.
We've tested the best menopause supplements and the best menopause skincare. We've also tested the best cooling bedding if hot flushes and night sweats are preventing you from snoozing.
In a bid to banish restless nights, good sleep hygiene is a top priority for many of you, with 51% avoiding caffeine too close to bedtime and 36% maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, even at weekends. A savvy 32% of you have also lowered your bedroom temperature to keep things cool and comfortable – because studies show that being too hot can disrupt deep sleep and lead to frequent wakeups.
Yet, despite some positive adjustments, 74% of you still admit to poor bedtime habits, with tech being the biggest sleep thief by a mile. Though it’s widely accepted that screen time and blue light get in theway of quality shut-eye, 36% of you can’t help but scroll on your phones before sleep and 16% like to catch up on TV in bed. Plus, 37% of you reach for your devices as soon as you wake up.
Conversely, 29% of you now use a sleep tracker (up from 22% last year), although 71% say it’s had no quantifiable impact on quality of sleep. In other words, we want to use tech for good, but the jury’s still out on whether it’s a help or a hindrance.
If you do want to keep an eye on your sleep data, we've tested the celeb-favourite Oura Ring. We've also reviewed the best sleep gadgets, including an under-mattress sleep tracker and a meditation device.
Counting sheep might be a classic technique to help us drift off, but only 9% of you give it a go when you wake up in the night. Instead, 42% of you simply lie there and will yourself to nod off again when insomnia strikes, while others prefer a more proactive approach – 38% read a book, 22% practise meditation or deep breathing and 22% get out of bed and potter around the house.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Lots of you say the best mattresses, duvets and pillows have made a world of difference, and 70% of you have tried a sleep aid to help you nod off, with the most popular being aromatherapy products such as pillow sprays (34%), ear plugs (23%), eye masks (23%) and sleep supplements (21%) – especially magnesium.
Read more: Best duvets | Best pillows | Best sleep supplements | Pillow mists | Best eye masks
To find the products that are truly worth investing in, the Good Housekeeping Institute has been busy testing the latest releases in bedding, sleep tech and more as part of our 2025 Sleep Awards. Here are some of the best value buys for your bedroom...
Note that the prices shown are for the standard UK double size.
Score: 95/100
This soft Egyptian cotton bedding washed well, plus the duvet has a zip fastening for easy changing. Items available separately
Score: 94/100
Warm but not too weighty, this duvet was easy to fit into a duvet cover and it looked plump on our panellists’ beds. It washed well, too.
Score: 92/100
This topper stopped our testers overheating at night and provided sufficient cushioning for most. It’s machine washable for easy cleaning, too.
Score: 90/100
This wooden frame was easy to build and fitted our panellists' mattresses well, with plenty of room for storage underneath.
Score: 89/100
According to our testers, this pocket sprung mattress is comfy, supportive and excellent at regulating temperature.
Score: 87/100
These pillows, which are hypoallergenic and filled with microfibre, provided plenty of support for our panel.
Your sleep tips
You shared your tips on how to wind down and improve your sleep routine, and reflected on your best night’s sleep ever.
- Advice on how to fall asleep faster ranged from ‘Good sex’ to ‘Don’t have children!’.
- Alongside partners, our pets and the moon were all blamed for disrupting sleep.
- When it came to your wind-down routines, the most common activities included listening to music, with classical music proving popular, reading and doing puzzles. One person said they found ASMR videos to watch on YouTube, and another told us they enjoyed a hot tub and sauna before bed in winter.
- As for where and when readers have enjoyed their best night’s sleep, this response summed it up for most: ‘About 40 years ago, before I had children.’ Another popular answer was by the sea, being lulled to sleep by the waves, and the Premier Inn was shouted out several times. But overwhelmingly, people preferred the comfort of their own bed.
Priyankaa is our sleep and wellness expert, specialising in expert-tested reviews and roundups on the latest health and fitness products. From walking boots to running machines, Priyankaa has written about hundreds of products and is passionate about providing in-depth, unbiased reviews. Plus, as an avid runner and gymgoer, she knows exactly what to look for when finding the right gymwear, fitness tracker or earphones.
Priyankaa has an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University and over five years’ experience in health and fitness journalism. Priyankaa has written for Stylist’s Strong Women Training Club, where she regularly wrote about diversity in the fitness industry, nutrition tips, training advice and her experience completing various fitness challenges. She has also written for a variety of publications including Business Insider, Glamour, Bustle, Metro, HuffPost UK, gal-dem and more. Outside of work, Priyankaa can usually be found trying out a new gym class, seeking out London's best eats or watching a Spanish TV show in a bid to keep up her language skills.
