07 May East of England named one of the least rested regions in the UK
Norwich has been named the second most likely city to experience notable sleep disruptions due to light exposure, temperature fluctuation and working hours, behind Central London.
The #WakeUpWell study, conducted by Blinds Direct, analysed light pollution levels, sun hours and mean temperatures in key locations to establish which parts of England experience the lowest quality of sleep, and advises readers how to best combat it.
The data shows that Norwich has the second-highest levels of disruptive light exposure, more annual sun hours, and more extreme temperature fluctuations than other parts of the United Kingdom, which as a result, names it the second most sleep-deprived city in the UK.
Norwich reported an average brightness value of 22, meaning the city experiences double the levels of light pollution seen in runner-up Brighton (11). Norwich also experiences 1,877 annual sun hours – 27% more than seen in the most well-rested city, Newcastle.
However, it’s Central London that takes the top spot as England’s least rested city, after reporting an average brightness level of 70 and 1,828 sun hours.
It’s not surprising that Norwich ranks poorly for getting a good night’s rest, as the East of England was found to be the third most disrupted region in England, following behind Greater London and the South East.
Cities ranked from most to least disrupted sleep:
Central London
Norwich
Brighton
Birmingham
Bristol
Leicester
Manchester
Leeds
Newcastle
As well as reporting high light pollution levels and most drastic temperature fluctuations, Norwich also sees one of the poorest work/life balances out of those analysed in the study, based on weekly working hours and the number of workers putting in overtime.
Almost a fifth (18.6%) of the city’s workforce was found to be putting in hours of unpaid or paid overtime above their base contract, compared to just 14% in Newcastle.
However, there are steps that can be taken – regardless of city or region – to improve the likelihood of a good night’s rest. Expert advice recommends sticking to a solid sleep schedule, controlling light exposure, and following a strict routine even while working from home.
For Alex Savy, Certified Sleep Science Coach and Founder of SleepingOcean, the most important factor to manage in order to increase the chances of a good night’s sleep is light, as he says: “To improve one’s sleep quality, you need to control light exposure.
“Try to get enough daylight by sitting near the window during work or taking walks whenever you can (even on a foggy day, it still might do you some good). Additionally, you might want to limit your screen time and, ideally, avoid taking devices to bed.
“You can use a blue light filter in the evening for extra protection and dim the lights around the house a couple of hours before bedtime.”
Returning to work could give many Brits the chance to reclaim their home space as strictly being for leisure and downtime, which in turn gives them the opportunity to make small tweaks to a room in order to get a good night’s sleep.
