We are all regularly told about the benefits of at least seven hours of sleep per night.
But a new study shows that most of us get significantly less than this.
Researchers from Lingo by Abbott surveyed 2,000 Brits to find out exactly how much shut-eye people in the UK get.
The results showed that the average Briton only gets six hours and 20 minutes of sleep per night.
And it’s particularly bad news for the people of Sheffield, who turned out to be the most tired in Britain.
Sixty percent of people in the Steel City say they are constantly tired, compared to the national average of 48 percent.
Sophie Bertrand, nutritionist at Lingo, said: ‘These results show how tired the nation is, with as many as half of us complaining that we are always exhausted.
‘This could be for a number of reasons… we may be overworked, stressed, following a nutrient-deficient diet or not exercising our bodies enough.’
We are all regularly told about the benefits of at least seven hours of sleep per night. But a new study shows most of us get significantly less than this (stock image)
While Sheffield emerged as the most tired city, this was closely followed by Glasgow (58 per cent constantly tired), Plymouth (57 per cent), Brighton (56 per cent) and Cardiff (55 per cent).
When it comes to bedtime, the average Brit now goes to bed at 10pm.
But people aged 69 and over stay up later than other cohorts, with an average bedtime of 10.20pm.
In contrast, people between the ages of 18 and 44 prefer an early night and end the day on average at 9:40 p.m.
The research also revealed which professions suffer most from fatigue.
Hairdressers top the list, with 73 percent admitting to being tired all the time.
This is followed by lawyers (72 percent), people working in HR (71 percent), charity workers (67 percent) and people working in logistics (63 percent).
According to the NHS, the amount of sleep you need will vary depending on your age, as well as several other factors.
The research also revealed which professions suffer most from fatigue. Hairdressers topped the list, with 73 percent admitting they are tired all the time (stock image)
“A healthy adult typically needs about seven to nine hours of sleep,” the website explains.
‘However, age, health and personal circumstances influence how much sleep we need, and some people naturally sleep more than others.
‘Teenagers, children and babies need more sleep because they are still growing, but this also varies, with a newborn sleeping between 8 and 16 hours.’
If you are not getting enough sleep, this could be due to several reasons.
“Some people are naturally lighter sleepers or take longer to fall asleep, while others may sleep poorly due to anxiety, worries about stressful events or other life challenges,” the NHS added.
‘There are many things that can affect how well we sleep, such as our current physical or mental health, our upbringing, things that happen to us and even our temperament.
‘However, poor sleep habits or poor sleep hygiene, such as not relaxing or calming down before going to bed, often cause sleep problems.’