How the UK is sleeping: the Panda 2026 Sleep Report

To celebrate World Sleep Day, we’re releasing our 2026 Sleep Report – a deep dive into how the nation really sleeps. We asked 2000 people to report on bedtime habits, morning thoughts, sleep issues and much more. Rest and relaxation is important to us, and knowing how the UK is sleeping helps us to focus on developing products and creating content designed to help you achieve your best night’s sleep.

As we slowly approach spring, it’s time to breathe new life into bedtime. Read on to see what we found out in our 2026 Sleep Report…

Censuswide conducted the research among a sample of 2000 UK Respondents (Aged 18+). The data was collected between 04.03.2026 and 06.03.2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles.

How would you rate your sleep?

It’s the number one most important question we have every single year – how would you actually rate the quality of your sleep, on a scale of 0-10. This year, 6% of people rated their sleep a perfect 10, which is 1% up from our 2025 Sleep Report. This number seems to be increasing year on year, which means we’re heading in the right direction! 72% of people would currently rate their sleep higher than a five, which is a huge positive.

Sleep rating (0-10)	Percentage
0	4%
1	2%
2	6%
3	8%
4	8%
5	26%
6	8%
7	14%
8	13%
9	5%
10	6%

 

How much sleep are you getting?

Another important metric for us is the quantity of sleep the UK is currently getting. We asked our 2000 respondents how many hours of sleep they typically get, and while healthy sleep durations do tend to vary across cultures, we know that the ‘gold standard’ here in the UK is around 7-9 hours. 44% of our participants are getting 7+ hours per night, which is a 2% increase on our 2025 Sleep Report.

If you want to improve on the quantity (and quality!) of your sleep, why not download our 4-Week Sleep Improvement Challenge? Built in collaboration with our partners at The Sleep Charity, it’s a really simple way to create better bedtime habits moving forward.

Sleep quantity (in hours)	Percentage
Less than 1	1%
1-2	1%
3-4	12%
5-6	42%
7-8	38%
9-10	5%
11-12	1%
12+	0%

 

How much sleep would you like to get per night?

We also thought it was important to see what people are aiming for when it comes to bedtime – it’s important to reach for the stars, after all. 62% of people said they would like to get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep per night, with a further 20% aiming even higher.

If you’re looking to increase the duration of your sleep, it’s important to ensure your environment is set up to give a fighting chance. Dark, not too hot or too cold, and with minimal distractions in terms of noise, screens and discomfort; this way you’ll be able to sleep well and, more importantly, stay asleep.

"The findings from this year’s report paint a really clear picture of how the nation is sleeping – and where we still have work to do. While it’s positive that 72% of people rate their sleep higher than a five, and 6% even say they’re sleeping perfectly, the reality is that many are still not getting the rest they need. 

With 42% of people only managing 5-6 hours a night, and just 44% reaching the recommended 7+ hours, it’s no surprise that sleep continues to be a challenge for so many.” – Lisa Artis, Deputy CEO, The Sleep Charity.

Are you sharing a bed?

Whether you’re starfishing every night or stuck next to someone who hogs the duvet, we’re keen to understand who’s sleeping where. We asked our participants whether they share a bed with a partner and/or pet, and 60% said yes. Which means there’s 40% of us not having to put up with someone else’s snoring… result! In our 2024 Sleep Report, only 37.1% were sleeping alone – but in 2025, 41% answered that they got the whole bed to themselves.

If you do share a bed and you’re kept awake at night by your other half getting in or out of bed, or just moving around in general, you should opt for a mattress with good motion isolation. Both of our Hybrid Bamboo Mattresses contain premium springs and high-density memory foam, which work in harmony to isolate movement and reduce motion transfer to a smoother, deeper sleep.

Your kids’ bedtime routine

When little ones sleep well, we all do – so it’s important for us to know what helps you build the perfect bedtime routine for your precious panda. Here are the most popular elements of kids’ nighttime rituals in the UK…

• Reading to your little one
• A bath before bed
• Milk (whether breast, bottle or cup)
• A nightlight
• Snacks
• Audiobooks or similar
• White/brown/pink noise
• Lavender
• A sleep balm
  

Reading to children before bed is a really popular part of bedtime routines across the world, and it’s vitally important for their development – so we’re pleased to see it! Our Panda Kids™ range is packed with soft, breathable and hypoallergenic bamboo pillows, duvets, towels and more to help you build the best routine for their health and development.

Do you track your sleep?

Sleep trackers – like watches, rings, under-the-mattress sensors and more – are becoming increasingly popular… or so it seems on TikTok! But how many people actually track their sleep on a regular basis?

Do you track your sleep?	Percentage
Always	10%
Often	13%
Sometimes	22%
Never	55%

 

So more people don’t track their sleep, but 45% of the UK are tracking their slumber at least sometimes! Where do you fall?

Of those 45% of sleep trackers, we were also interested in how people track their sleep – most use a smart watch or their smartphone, with a few using rings and diaries too.

How often do you change your bedding?

Fresh sheets – there’s no better feeling. A study by the National Sleep Foundation showed that 75% of people say they sleep better with fresh sheets because it feels so much more comfortable. Consider your bed’s hidden biome, too: the build-up of sweat, skin cells, dust mites and more. Over time, this can really impact the quality of your sleep!

We asked people how often they change their duvet cover, and 60% of respondents said they change theirs either every week or every two weeks – with 5% changing their duvet cover more than once a week, and 5% only switching theirs out less than every 3 months.

When it comes to changing pillow cases, again the majority change theirs every week or every two weeks (67%). Around 7% of our participants change their pillow cases more than once a week, and it makes sense that this number is higher than when it comes to duvet covers or sheets – because our pillow case is in contact with our face, many people opt to change it regularly to prevent spots or other skin imperfections.

And how often do the UK change their sheets? Again, 67% of people said they change their bed sheets every one to two weeks with 6% swapping theirs more than once a week and 2% leaving it more than three months at a time. Clean sheets are crucial to health and comfort; when it comes to how often you should change your bedding, generally the answer is every 1-2 weeks.

If it’s time to upgrade your bedding, we have three sumptuous bamboo bedding collections to choose from!

Do you have a specific side of the bed?

If you do sleep on the same side of the bed every night, you probably think everybody does it. Well, we wanted to find out – so we asked our sleep survey participants if they have a set side of the bed and as it happens, only 77% said yes. They’re in the majority, but 23% of people just pick a side at random each night… 

Sleep, health and wellness

Our health and wellness is incredibly important – and at Panda, we know that sleep is a huge part of that. But we were curious to see if everybody felt the same way, and it turns out that 72% of people do consider sleep to be part of their beauty, health and wellness routine. Sleep is a nightly rejuvenation ritual, helping to heal illness or injury, allowing you to wake up refreshed, aiding cognitive function and memory processing, and strengthening the immune system. All of this means it definitely does (and should) form part of your beauty, health and wellness routine. 

“Small, consistent changes can make a huge difference. Whether that’s improving your sleep environment, building a calming routine, or simply recognising that sleep is an essential part of wellbeing - something 72% of people already agree with - prioritising rest is one of the most powerful steps we can take for our health, mood and overall wellbeing." – Lisa Artis, Deputy CEO, The Sleep Charity

Every year, our annual Panda Sleep Report provides us with really interesting data about how the UK is sleeping; with the majority of people rating their sleep only a five out of ten, there is work to do. From habits around bedtime routines and shopping for sleep accessories to looking at how often people change their bedding, our 2026 Sleep Report has some fascinating key insights! We’d love to hear your thoughts – feel free to reach out on social media to let us know what you think.