How the UK Is Sleeping: Panda London 2024 Sleep Report

Sleep – the most important thing in the world. It helps us heal and grow, keeps us happy and healthy, and impacts our everyday life in a multitude of ways. But how is the UK actually sleeping? Here at Panda, this is something we’re particularly interested in. It helps us shape our innovations, and advise the country on how to get a better night’s rest.

Each year, we delve into the latest trends in how real people across the UK rate their sleep – how much of it we’re getting, and generally how we’re doing it. This year’s report saw over 4,500 people from across the UK getting involved, answering questions across a broad range of sleep-related topics. Welcome to the Panda 2024 Sleep Report: the UK’s latest sleep stats.

How would you rate your sleep?

We asked the UK how they’d rate their sleep on a scale of 1 to 10, and only 0.9% of people rated their sleep a 10. Luckily, 68.9% of people rated their sleep 5 and above – so we’re confident that the nation is sleeping fairly well. Of course, we always want to get that number higher!

If you want better sleep, why not switch to bamboo? From our Hybrid Bamboo Pillow to our 100% Bamboo Bedding, we offer a range of sleep accessories to help you get the rest you deserve. There are plenty of other ways to improve your sleep, too: stick to a good bedtime routine, limit your caffeine intake, and reduce evening screen time. 

How much sleep are you getting?

Less than 50% of the UK are getting the recommended 7+ hours of sleep per night. Disrupted sleep can have various health consequences, according to experts. Mental Health Foundation emphasises the impact on mental health: "Poor sleep can negatively affect our productivity and mood, as well as reduce our ability to concentrate and our energy levels. In the long-term, poor sleep has been found to increase the risk of Type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension, obesity, and anxiety and depression". Getting a good, long night’s sleep is one of the best things you can do for both your mental and physical health!

To raise the bar when it comes to how much sleep you’re actually getting, ensure your room is both dark and temperate enough – anywhere between 15 and 20 degrees celsius is recommended for drifting off in comfort. Consider whether you need to adjust your thermostat or open the window, or whether you need a more snuggly duvet like our Cloud Bamboo Duvet, now available in two tog ratings so you can completely personalise your bedtime set-up.

Limiting day time naps and increasing your exercise levels during the day can also increase how many hours you get per night – as can reducing blue light exposure and consuming less caffeine.

These stats are similar to our 2023 Sleep Report, meaning more needs to be done in helping the UK get their necessary 7+ hours per night! From choosing the right mattress topper for you, to exploring whether or not you should sleep with the window open, have a scroll through our Sweet Dreams blog to find plenty of helpful advice.

What does your ideal sleep environment look like?

We also wanted to know what the UK considers to be the ideal sleeping environment, in terms of which factors actually impact how well we sleep. 83.6% of people said that the comfort of their bed and bedding correlate to how well they sleep, while 66% of respondents mentioned noise levels. Other key mentions included how light or dark the room is, as well as the temperature – all of these aspects of the room contribute to how well (or not!) we’re sleeping.

Be sure that your room is set up just right to ensure you’re sleeping comfortably! Think about what environment works well for you, and choose wisely when setting up both your bed and bedroom. To ensure the room is dark enough, consider an eye mask; our gentle, hypoallergenic 100% Bamboo Eye Mask works to block out ambient light and enhance your bedtime environment. Bamboo bedding, too, is an ideal option for that huge percentage of people who value comfort at night; our Signature+™ range is made from 100% bamboo lyocell, and is the most buttery soft bedding that balances luxury with breathability and all of the dreamy benefits of bamboo.

Sleeping positions

40.7% of the UK say they switch positions during the night while sleeping – meaning just over half of our Sleep Report 2024 respondents have one sleeping position that they tend to stick to. Finding a position that works for you and keeps you comfortable is important, as it helps you stay in a deeper sleep for longer. Depending on your preferred sleeping position, you might find that different products work better for you. Our pillow, topper and mattress ranges utilise orthopaedic grade memory foam to make them suitable for all sleepers.

See how this compares to our 2023 Sleep Report here!

Sleep aids

Everybody needs a helping hand from time to time when it comes to falling asleep – we all have our own tricks for getting a good night’s rest! Our sleep research showed that the winner by far was bedtime reading, showing that 32.9% of the UK opt to snuggle up with a good book to help them drift off, with specialised pillows coming in second place. Lavender oil, white noise and sleepy tea were among other sleep aids our respondents mentioned. Whatever works for you is alright in our book!

Sharing a bed

When it comes to sharing a bed, we were keen to know just how many people across the UK do so! And it’s not just human companions we might snuggle up with at night, with over 13% of people saying they share their bed with at least one furry friend.

If you share a bed, consider a mattress that reduces motion transfer like our Hybrid Bamboo Mattress and the Pro version. They both combine premium pocket springs and open-cell, orthopaedic grade memory foam with breathable bamboo, offering a wealth of benefits; the comfort base absorbs excess movement to minimise disruptions and keep you fast asleep, no matter who’s wriggling beside you…

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our 2024 Sleep Report – getting a good night’s sleep is vital, and if you’re struggling then dealing with this is an important step you should take as we wrap up the year and head into 2025! From improving your sleep environment to establishing a routine, and switching to bamboo bedding or investing in a Hybrid Bamboo Mattress, you can achieve the rest you need to really thrive. This is the aim with all of our extensive sleep research: to help you drift off with ease and rest better. Be sure to keep an eye out for next year's survey so you can take part in shaping the future of sleep!