It will come as little surprise to middle-aged people battling the stress of work, elderly parents and teenage children. But those aged 45 to 54 get the worst night’s sleep, managing just over six and a half hours on average.
Market researchers Mintel found baby boomers get a full 49 minutes less sleep at night than millennials in the 16 to 24 age bracket. Experts say older people need just as much sleep as the young, with eight hours the recommended optimum.
However, middle-aged people are more likely to suffer an interrupted night’s sleep because of health problems, which force them to deal with tiredness the next day.
The poll of 2,000 British adults found almost four in 10 adults fail to achieve even seven hours a night, while five per cent, like former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, getting by on four hours or fewer.
Noise is the number one source of sleep interruption, reported by 59 per cent of people, while 57 per cent said light caused them difficulty with sleeping. Technology is another issue, with more than a third of people admitting using smart phones and tablets before going to bed caused trouble falling asleep.
