The effects of sleep

*This article includes data based on a UK survey conducted by DRV+ of 117 customers, nationally representative, during January 2023. All survey findings reflect our own efforts and have not been influenced or verified by any external organisations or third-party entities.

We all know sleep is vital for our health, but that doesn't mean we are getting enough! There aren't many things worse for our mood or health than sleep deprivation, particularly when it's persistent. If you're suffering from bad sleep, you're not alone. Our customer survey of over 12,000 women and men showed that 42% regularly struggle to sleep or are insomniacs. Just 16% of people said they have no issues sleeping. We conducted a further customer survey among 545 people to uncover some of the common causes of poor sleep, how poor sleep affects people, and how people overcome poor sleep.

How much sleep should we get?

Sleep is vital to our mental health. Globally, mental health has for the first time become a bigger health concern than cancer, according to Ipsos Global Health Service Monitor. This is a significant milestone for society, reflecting the progress in diagnosing and treating cancer and the escalating issues around mental health among young and older people. 

Adults should regularly get 7+ hours or more sleep a night for optimal health, enabling our body and mind to recover, recuperate and regenerate, and just as importantly, to prevent health conditions. Consistently having less than 7 hours of sleep a night can lead to health conditions including hypertension (high blood pressure), anxiety, heart disease, weight gain, diabetes and many more. 

How common is poor sleep?

Shockingly, 73% of people in our survey said they have trouble sleeping at least 3 nights a week, and more than a third of people (38%) suffered poor sleep at least 5 nights a week. Just 3% of people get more than 8 hours of sleep each night, and 77% of people get less than the recommended 7 hours of sleep.

38%

Experience poor sleep 5-7 nights per week

It is well known that our sleep quality worsens as we age, which can be caused by a change in our hormones and our bodies producing less melatonin (our sleep hormone), and our customer survey reinforces this. 47% of people aged 45 and over said they experienced sleep issues 5-7 nights a week, while it is just 11% for those under the age of 35. 

Poor sleep is a common sign of menopause, affecting 78% of women, caused by changes in hormones that affect the body's natural thermoregulation, leading to night sweats. Trouble sleeping is also among the ten most common signs of PMS, affecting 43% of women. 

Most common sleep problems

The most common sleep problem is 'waking up throughout the night', followed by 'not waking up feeling refreshed' and more than half of people 'wake up too early and can't get back to sleep'. 

Waking up throughout the night	69%
Not waking up refreshed	62%
Wake up too early & can't get back to sleep	52%
Struggle to get to sleep due to stress / anxiety	35%
Struggle to sleep in general	21%
Restless legs syndrome	17%
Nightmares	10%

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) affects nearly 1 in 5 people. 

Stress and poor sleep 

Stress is the most common root cause of poor sleep, whether we're conscious of it or not. This is because our stress hormone, cortisol, inhibits the production of melatonin, our sleep hormone, preventing the body from producing enough melatonin to help us get to sleep, enjoy deeper sleep or stay asleep. 

 

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■No impact	12%
■Sleep quality worsens	88%

Based on the results from our survey, 9 out of 10 people have poorer sleep when they're stressed, while 75% of people have persistent sleep issues if they suffer overwhelming stress, compared to just 29% for those who are stress-free. Managing and overcoming stress is often the first and most effective remedy for enjoying better sleep. 

Impact of poor sleep

Sleep deprivation has been used as a method of torture for centuries, and that's because it is debilitating both physically and mentally. While the greatest and most obvious impact of poor sleep is fatigue and lacking energy, two-thirds of people said they find it hard to concentrate, and half will experience a worsening memory as a result of their poor sleep. This creates a huge impact on productivity in the workplace as well as enjoyment of family and social life. 

Low energy	77%
Lacking productivity & concentration	66%
Irritability	54%
Anxiety	49%
Poor memory	47%
Headaches	35%
Gut health issues	29%
More prone to illnesses	23%

Our gut is connected to our brain via the 'gut-brain axis' (which is why we experience butterflies in our stomach when we're nervous), so if our brain isn't functioning properly as a result of poor sleep, it will affect our gut health. Sleep and our gut are intrinsically connected - a customer survey of 736 men and women showed 49% experienced difficulty sleeping or insomnia as a result of their poor gut health. When our gut microbiome is out of balance and overrun with bad bacteria, it damages our gut's ability to fuel our brain health, concentration, energy levels, immunity, skin, and much more. 

Diet and poor sleep

While 57% of people in our survey said their diet and the foods they eat affect their sleep, 67% said their diet gets less healthy when they're suffering poor sleep. This can be due to the lack of energy to make a healthy meal, the inability to think clearly, the shortening attention span, and the sheer frustration of sleep deprivation, which highlights the compounding impact on our health when we're deprived of sleep. After getting on top of any anxiety, it's vital your client's eat healthily to support better sleep.

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■No impact	33%
■Diet gets less healthy	67%

Treating poor sleep

While managing anxiety and eating healthily are the most important first steps to improving poor sleep, our customer survey highlights other common ways people try to improve their sleep, including exercising and taking vitamins and supplements for sleep. 

Exercise during the day	43%
Take vitamins / supplements	42%
Consume foods / drinks known to improve sleep	25%
Don't do anything	21%
Meditate	20%
Follow a sleep schedule	18%
Take medication	11%

Discover the De-stress & Sleep Bundle

 

Meditation and following a sleep schedule, often with the help of a sleep app that can be downloaded on a phone, can also be effective treatments for sleep. 

How does Vegan Nights^® work?

Vegan Nights^® is our formula for better, deeper and regenerative sleep. In our survey, when asked 'How effective would you say Vegan Nights® has been in supporting you?', two-thirds of customers who take Vegan Nights^® said they find it effective in improving their sleep.* Vegan Nights^® is also commonly taken alongside Ashwagandha KSM-66^®.

You may be interested in reading more of our surveys

• Menopause & gut health survey
• Gut health survey
• Bloating survey
• Skin health survey
• Stress survey
• Daily multi-vitamin survey
• Vaginal health survey
• PMS survey

*Customer survey of 12,232 people on drv.co, and online survey of 545 men and women during January 2023, UK nationally representative. All survey findings reflect our own efforts and have not been influenced or verified by any external organisations or third-party entities.