England's most sleep-deprived counties revealed – do you live in one?

Hannah Millington
·Health & Wellness Reporter
Updated ·5-min read
Tired man suffering from a lack of sleep. (Getty Images)
If you're from Merseyside you're more likely to suffer from a lack of sleep. (Getty Images)

As many as two in three people (65%) in England fail to get seven hours of sleep a night, new data shows.

And depending on which county you live in, you may be hit by a lack of shut-eye more than others.

Merseyside is the most sleep-deprived area, with almost three-quarters (74.4%) of respondents falling short of seven hours, the minimum amount recommended by the NHS.

Meanwhile, aside from quantity, nearly half describe the quality of their sleep here as 'poor'.

Read more: How to stay awake when tired

Woman tired at work. (Getty Images)
The most sleep-deprived industries include those working in property services, science and transport, such as train and taxi drivers. (Getty Images)

Kent comes in a close second with 74.42% of respondents not sleeping for long enough, according to the study of 5012 adults from sleep technology firm Simba.

Shropshire (72.55%), County of Bristol (72.50%) and Bedfordshire (72.06%) complete the top five most sleep-deprived areas in England.

Meanwhile, Norfolk, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, West Midlands and Northamptonshire all have poor sleep scores.

Sleep deprived areas chart. (Simba)
Are you from one of these exhausted counties? (Simba)

"We can see that Merseyside could have the least sleep out of any across England, because of higher self-reported levels of less exercise and access to nature – two things we know are great for helping us to sleep better," says Lisa Artis, deputy CEO at Simba’s charity partner, The Sleep Charity.

"Greater access to the outdoors and lower reported noise pollution are likely to play a part in why residents in Dorset and West Sussex enjoy higher than average sleep consumption."

Plus, Artis adds, "In Norfolk and the West Midlands, lower levels of exercise and higher than average levels of alcohol consumption may also be fuelling their sleep deficit – bolted to higher rates of noise pollution reported by the latter.

"Although Bedfordshire rated highly for minimal noise pollution and access to green spaces, levels of alcohol consumption were higher here too."

Read more: What is the TikTok colour noise trend and can it help you sleep better?

Most rested areas chart. (Simba)
If you're from Cambridgeshire you're more likely to be well-rested. (Simba)

On the flip side, the most well-rested county is Cambridgeshire, where just 58% of people get too little sleep (or 42% get more than seven hours). Hampshire, Lincolnshire, East Sussex and Dorset also fare better, among other areas.

But overall, an alarming 72% of people in England report waking up in the morning feeling like they have had insufficient sleep, while one in four (26%) regularly feel tired and struggle to concentrate during the day.

Brits should be getting seven to nine hours of sleep every night, while children need nine to 13 hours and toddlers and babies 12 to 17. A lack of sleep can increase the risk of health issues like obesity, heart disease and diabetes, while having less than seven hours can impair concentration levels and the chances of work or car-related accidents.

A further 33% of adults who routinely fail to get the bare minimum of shut-eye report increased levels of depression and anxiety, in contrast to just 22% of those who average more than the recommended amount.

Plus, the data shows higher rates of irritability, lower sex drive and more illness within those who are sleep-deprived.

“Paying attention to sleep hygiene is one of the best ways that you can set yourself up for better slumber; creating a bedroom environment that creates consistent and quality sleep," adds Artis.

Read more: 10 expert-approved ways to sleep better, as millions of adults complain of being 'tired all the time'

Sleep deprived careers chart. (Simba)
If you work in one of these industries it's likely you sleep for less than seven hours a night. (Simba)

It seems the type of job and salary you have also impacts sleep. Almost half (45.89%) of English workers earning over £75,000 regularly clock up more than seven hours, versus just 23% on Job Seekers Allowance.

Those who work in facilities and property Services, science (both 76) and transport (75.64%), such as delivery, taxi and train drivers, most regularly get less than seven hours a night.

Meanwhile, people who work in media (50%), engineering (42.3%) and sport (41.7%) are the most well-rested.

10 most sleep-deprived areas in England

The counties that get less than seven hours shut-eye a night.

  1. Merseyside - 74.47%

  2. Kent - 74.42%

  3. Shropshire - 72.55%

  4. County of Bristol - 72.50%

  5. Bedfordshire - 72.06%

  6. Norfolk - 71.57%

  7. Buckinghamshire - 71.15%

  8. Berkshire - 71.03%

  9. West Midlands - 69.90%

  10. Northamptonshire - 69.81%

10 most well-rested areas in England

The counties that get more than seven hours sleep a night.

  1. Cambridgeshire - 42%

  2. Hampshire - 41.38%

  3. Lincolnshire - 41.28%

  4. East Sussex - 41.25%

  5. Dorset - 41.10%

  6. Wiltshire - 40.43%

  7. West Sussex - 40.37%

  8. Hertfordshire - 40.26%

  9. Worcestershire - 40.00%

  10. Oxfordshire - 39.53%

10 most sleep-deprived careers

The industries that get less than seven hours a night.

  1. Facilities & Property Services - 76%

  2. Science, Mathematics and Statistics - 76%

  3. Transport (Pilot, Driving Instructor, Delivery, Taxi, Bus driver, Train, Post) - 75.64%

  4. Construction and Building - 74.84%

  5. Homemaker (parent) - 74.55%

  6. Hair & Beauty - 72.34%

  7. Business & Management - 72%

  8. Security, unformed and protective services (Army, Prison, Police etc) - 72.43%

  9. Social Work and Caring Services - 70.13%

  10. Alternative Therapy - 70%

Watch: Tips if you're struggling to sleep

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