Sleep Statistics UK 2026: Insights from 1,000+ UK Students

Sleep Deprivation in the UK: An Overview

Sleep deprivation (opens in a new tab) is a condition that arises from not getting enough sleep over a sustained period of time. It is the result of a consistent failure to get adequate sleep, rather than the occasional sleepless night. 

The National Health Service (NHS) defines 8–10 hours as a healthy sleep duration for 13–18-year-olds (opens in a new tab). Students in this age range preparing for GCSEs, A Levels and other important exams should prioritise sleep, as sleep deprivation can affect exam performance. However, exam stress can get in the way of a good night’s sleep: our data shows that 65% of students sleep less during exam or revision periods.

The Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey received responses from 1,059 UK-based students. The data we have gathered includes how many hours students typically sleep, how they’d rate their sleep quality, and how exam periods or stress can impact their sleep. Comparing our findings from students to the latest UK sleep statistics, we’ve compiled all the key statistics on sleep in the UK.

Key Takeaways

Below are key findings from the Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey:

• When including those who sleep for 7–8 hours, 84% of students get fewer than the recommended 8 hours of sleep on a typical school night

• 65% of students sleep less during exam or revision periods

• 55% of students have stayed up all night to revise or finish schoolwork, and 44% of these students have done so more than once

• 62% of students said that lack of sleep has affected how well they do at school

• 71% of students said that lack of sleep affects their mood or mental health

How Much Sleep Do UK Students Get? (Primary Data)

Who We Surveyed: Student Demographics

Our survey captured responses from 1,059 UK-based students aged 14-18. Here's how the sample broke down:

Level of study: 

57% - GCSE
31% - A Level
12% - IGCSE
1% - IB
1% - Other

Gender: 

64% - female
32% - male
3% - prefer not to say
1% - non-binary

Hours of sleep on a typical school night

Only 16% of students get 8–9 or more hours of sleep on a typical school night:

• 4% get fewer than 5 hours

• 13% get 5–6 hours

• 29% get 6–7 hours

• 38% get 7–8 hours

• 15% get 8–9 hours 

• 1% get more than 9 hours

How many UK students are not getting the recommended amount of sleep

On a typical school night, 46% of UK students are not getting the minimum recommendation of 8 hours of sleep. This increases to 84% when including those who sleep for 7–8 hours.

Students only get an average of 7.01 hours of sleep on a typical school night, despite needing around 8–10 hours.

Weekend vs school-night sleep: the student sleep gap

Though students only get an average of 7.01 hours of sleep on a typical school night, this increases to 8.02 hours on weekends or non-school nights.

The table below compares how much sleep students get on a weekend or non-school night vs a school night:

Sleep hours by study level

Most of our respondents were GCSE students, while the rest were preparing for other secondary and post-16 qualifications:

• GCSE: 56% (598 students)

• A Level: 31% (325 students)

• IGCSE: 12% (123 students)

• International Baccalaureate (IB) & Other: 2% (13 students)

We found that sleep hours decreased during exam periods for all qualifications.

Sleep Quality Among UK Students

How UK students rate their own sleep quality

Only 14% of students rated their overall sleep quality as poor or very poor. 53% of students rated their sleep as good or very good, while a third rated their sleep as neither good nor poor:

• 2% said very poor

• 12% said poor

• 33% said neither good nor poor

• 44% said good

• 9% said very good

How often students struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep

The majority of students said they struggle to fall or stay asleep at least a few nights a week:

• 4% said never

• 39% said rarely

• 31% said a few nights a week

• 19% said most nights

• 7% said every night

What Keeps UK Students Awake at Night?

We asked students to select all the things that make it hard for them to get to sleep. Worries about schoolwork, exams and other things were the most common responses:

• 347 responses (11%) said noise, light or temperature

• 415 responses (13%) said phones or social media

• 475 responses (15%) said other things

• 576 responses (19%) said revising or homework

• 598 responses (19%) said worrying about other things

• 680 responses (22%) said worrying about exams or grades

Sleep During Exam and Revision Periods

Do students sleep more or less during exams?

65% of students sleep less during exam or revision periods:

• 22% sleep much less

• 43% sleep slightly less

• 26% sleep about the same

• 7% sleep slightly more

• 2% sleep much more

All-nighters: how many students have stayed up all night to revise

More than half of students have stayed up all night to revise or finish schoolwork at least once:

• 45% said never

• 11% said once

• 30% said a few times

• 14% said many times

Exam period sleep loss by study level

65% of students sleep less during exam periods, and this applies to GCSE, A Level, IGCSE and IB students alike. This means that most students in exam periods will get fewer than the average 7.01 hours of sleep they get on typical school nights.

How Sleep Deprivation Affects Students

Sleep deprivation can affect students’ mood, school performance (including concentration, homework completion and test results), and ability to stay awake in class.

The table below compares the effect of sleep deprivation on students’ mood and on their school performance:

When we asked students how often they struggle to stay awake in lessons, 44% said at least a few times a week:

• 12% said never

• 45% said rarely

• 28% said a few times a week

• 11% said most days

• 5% said every day

What UK Students Do to Sleep Better

We asked students to share the methods they’ve tried to help them sleep better. 28% of responses involved changing technology habits (keeping phones out of the bedroom and/or using screens less before bed):

• 259 responses (10%) said exercising more

• 294 responses (11%) said keeping their phone out of their bedroom

• 310 responses (12%) said having less caffeine (e.g. coffee, energy drinks)

• 448 responses (17%) said using screens less before bed

• 552 responses (21%) said going to bed at the same time each night

• 742 responses (28%) said they tried other methods

How Much Sleep Do Teenagers Need? (Secondary Data)

Recommended sleep hours for teenagers

Official NHS guidance recommends 8–10 hours of sleep for 13–18-year-olds. This is more than the adult recommendation of 7–9 hours.

Why do teenagers sleep so much?

According to sleep specialist Dr Sarah Gilchrist (opens in a new tab), teenagers struggle to wake up in the morning due to their circadian rhythm being slightly later. This means that the system for maintaining balance in the body is delayed for teenagers, explaining why they often can’t fall asleep early and tend to sleep longer into the next day. Therefore, sleeping more doesn’t make teenagers lazy; it’s a natural response to a biological shift.

Sleep Deprivation Statistics for the UK Population

The table below compares key findings from a Curaleaf Clinic survey (opens in a new tab) of 4,000 UK adults (published April 2026) to statistics from our survey:

Screen Time, Social Media and Sleep

Screen use and social media can affect your ability to get to sleep, as well as your overall sleep quality. Here are key findings from Sleep Foundation (opens in a new tab) on screen time, social media and sleep:

• Blue light from screens interferes with the body’s normal sleep-wake signals, increasing alertness and making it harder to fall asleep

• Around 45% of adolescents report being online “almost constantly”, including just before bed

• FOMO (the fear of missing out) is a key driver for excessive social media use before bed

• Approximately 21% of adults say they wake up to check their phone during the night, increasing their risk of sleep loss and insomnia (opens in a new tab)

Though Sleep Foundation states that excessive social media use is not conducive to good sleep, it also stresses that certain social media platforms might actually help sleep (opens in a new tab). Sleep-friendly content like white noise on YouTube, for example, can help people to relax before bed.

Global Sleep Statistics: How the UK Compares

Resmed’s 2026 Global Sleep Survey (opens in a new tab) asked sleep-related questions to 30,000 individuals across 13 markets, with 2,000 respondents from the UK. Here are the survey’s key findings from the UK respondents:

• 64% reported getting four nights or fewer of quality sleep, making the UK one of the 5 countries with the lowest average nights of quality sleep

• 62% reported taking at least one sick day from work in a year due to poor sleep, making the UK the 6th highest market globally for sleep-related workplace absences

• 54% reported difficulty in falling and staying asleep, making the UK one of the 5 countries with the highest sleep difficulties

Appendix: Full List of Statistics

Sleep Deprivation in the UK: An Overview

1. 65% of students sleep less during exam or revision periods (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

Key Takeaways

2. When including those who sleep for 7–8 hours, 84% of students get fewer than the recommended 8 hours of sleep on a typical school night (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

3. 65% of students sleep less during exam or revision periods (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

4. 55% of students have stayed up all night to revise or finish schoolwork (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

5. 62% of students said that lack of sleep has affected how well they do at school (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

6. 71% of students said that lack of sleep affects their mood or mental health (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

How Much Sleep Do UK Students Get? (Primary Data)

7. Only 16% of students get 8–9 or more hours of sleep on a typical school night (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

8. 4% of students get fewer than 5 hours of sleep on a typical school night (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

9. 13% of students get 5–6 hours of sleep on a typical school night (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

10. 29% of students get 6–7 hours of sleep on a typical school night (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

11. 38% of students get 7–8 hours of sleep on a typical school night (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

12. 15% of students get 8–9 hours of sleep on a typical school night (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

13. 1% of students get more than 9 hours of sleep on a typical school night (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

14. 46% of UK students are not getting the minimum recommendation of 8 hours of sleep (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

15. Students only get an average of 7.01 hours of sleep on a typical school night (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

16. 2% of students get fewer than 5 hours of sleep on a typical weekend or non-school night (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

17. 5% of students get 5–6 hours of sleep on a typical weekend or non-school night (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

18. 11% of students get 6–7 hours of sleep on a typical weekend or non-school night (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

19. 23% of students get 7–8 hours of sleep on a typical weekend or non-school night (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

20. 38% of students get 8–9 hours of sleep on a typical weekend or non-school night (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

21. 20% of students get more than 9 hours of sleep on a typical weekend or non-school night (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

Sleep Quality Among UK Students

22. Only 14% of students rated their overall sleep quality as poor or very poor (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

23. 53% of students rated their sleep as good or very good (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

24. A third of students rated their sleep as neither good nor poor (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

25. 2% of students rate their overall sleep quality as very poor (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

26. 12% of students rate their overall sleep quality as poor (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

27. 33% of students rate their overall sleep quality as neither good nor poor (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

28. 44% of students rate their overall sleep quality as good (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

29. 9% of students rate their overall sleep quality as very good (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

30. 4% of students said they never struggle to fall or stay asleep (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

31. 39% of students said they rarely struggle to fall or stay asleep (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

32. 31% of students said they struggle to fall or stay asleep a few nights a week (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

33. 19% of students said they struggle to fall or stay asleep most nights (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

34. 7% of students said they struggle to fall or stay asleep every night (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

What Keeps UK Students Awake at Night?

35. 347 student responses (11%) said noise, light or temperature make it hard for them to get to sleep (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

36. 415 student responses (13%) said phones or social media make it hard for them to get to sleep (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

37. 475 student responses (15%) said other things make it hard for them to get to sleep (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

38. 576 student responses (19%) said revising or homework make it hard for them to get to sleep (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

39. 598 student responses (19%) said worrying about other things makes it hard for them to get to sleep (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

40. 680 student responses (22%) said worrying about exams or grades makes it hard for them to get to sleep (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

Sleep During Exam and Revision Periods

41. 65% of students sleep less during exam or revision periods (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

42. 22% of students sleep much less during exam or revision periods (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

43. 43% of students sleep slightly less during exam or revision periods (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

44. 26% of students sleep about the same during exam or revision periods (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

45. 7% of students sleep slightly more during exam or revision periods (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

46. 2% of students sleep much more during exam or revision periods (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

47. More than half of students have stayed up all night to revise or finish schoolwork at least once (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

48. 45% of students said they have never stayed up all night to revise or complete schoolwork (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

49. 11% of students said they have stayed up all night to revise or complete schoolwork once (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

50. 30% of students said they have stayed up all night to revise or complete schoolwork a few times (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

51. 14% of students said they have stayed up all night to revise or complete schoolwork many times (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

How Sleep Deprivation Affects Students

52. 2% of students strongly disagree that not getting enough sleep has affected how well they do at school (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

53. 8% of students disagree that not getting enough sleep has affected how well they do at school (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

54. 28% of students neither agree nor disagree that not getting enough sleep has affected how well they do at school (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

55. 37% of students agree that not getting enough sleep has affected how well they do at school (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

56. 25% of students strongly agree that not getting enough sleep has affected how well they do at school (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

57. 2% of students strongly disagree that lack of sleep affects their mood and mental health (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

58. 6% of students disagree that lack of sleep affects their mood and mental health (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

59. 22% of students neither agree nor disagree that lack of sleep affects their mood and mental health (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey) 

60. 41% of students agree that lack of sleep affects their mood and mental health (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey) 

61. 30% of students strongly agree that lack of sleep affects their mood and mental health (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey) 

62. 44% of students struggle to stay awake in lessons at least a few times a week (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

63. 12% of students said they never struggle to stay awake in lessons (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey) 

64. 45% of students said they rarely struggle to stay awake in lessons (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

65. 28% of students said they struggle to stay awake in lessons a few times a week (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

66. 11% of students said they struggle to stay awake in lessons most days (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

67. 5% of students said they struggle to stay awake in lessons every day (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

What UK Students Do to Sleep Better

68. 28% of student responses said they keep phones out of the bedroom and/or use screens less before bed to help them sleep better (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

69. 259 student responses (10%) said they have tried exercising more to sleep better (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

70. 294 student responses (11%) said they have tried keeping their phone out of their bedroom to sleep better (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

71. 310 student responses (12%) said they have tried having less caffeine (e.g. coffee, energy drinks) to sleep better (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

72. 448 student responses (17%) said they have tried using screens less before bed to sleep better (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

73. 552 student responses (21%) said they have tried going to bed at the same time each night to sleep better (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

74. 742 student responses (28%) said they have tried using other methods to sleep better (Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey)

Sleep Deprivation Statistics for the UK Population

75. 1 in 4 UK adults get fewer than 5 hours of sleep a night (Curaleaf Clinic Survey 2026)

76. UK adults get an average of 6.4 hours of sleep a night (Curaleaf Clinic Survey 2026)

77. Nearly half of UK adults describe themselves as sleep-deprived (Curaleaf Clinic Survey 2026)

Screen Time, Social Media and Sleep

78. Around 45% of adolescents report being online “almost constantly” (Sleep Foundation, October 2026)

79. Approximately 21% of adults wake up to check their phone during the night (Sleep Foundation, October 2026)

Global Sleep Statistics: How the UK Compares

80. 64% of UK adults get four nights or fewer of quality sleep (Resmed’s 2026 Global Sleep Survey)

81. 62% of UK adults took at least one sick day from work in a year due to poor sleep (Resmed’s 2026 Global Sleep Survey)

82. 54% of UK adults report difficulty in falling and staying asleep (Resmed’s 2026 Global Sleep Survey)

References

Primary Data

• The Save My Exams 2026 Student Sleep Survey

  • 1,059 UK-based students:

    • 64% female, 32% male, 3% prefer not to say and 1% non-binary

    • GCSE (56%), A Level (31%), IGCSE (12%), IB and Other students (2%)

Secondary Research

• Verywell Mind: Chronic Sleep Deprivation (updated December 2025) (opens in a new tab)

• NHS: Sleep (Older Children) (updated July 2024) (opens in a new tab)

• Teen Sleep Hub: Circadian Rhythms and Sleep (published October 2025) (opens in a new tab)

• Curaleaf Clinic: Britain’s Sleep Crisis (published April 2026) (opens in a new tab)

• Sleep Foundation: How Does Social Media Affect Sleep? (updated October 2026) (opens in a new tab)

• Sleep Foundation: Social Media Dominates Pre-Bedtime Routine for US Adults (updated June 2023) (opens in a new tab)

• NHS: Insomnia (reviewed March 2024) (opens in a new tab)

• Resmed’s 2026 Global Sleep Survey (January 2026) (opens in a new tab)