Two thirds of us fail to get a good night's sleep, causing health problems

If you woke up this morning feeling grumpy and fed up because you didn’t sleep well, you weren’t the only one.

Almost two thirds of us struggle to get a good night’s rest, according to research. The problem has become so bad, experts say it constitutes a major public health concern.

Some 60 per cent of adults admit they have a sleep problem and rarely get the recommended six or seven hours a night.

More than a third suffer from insomnia, and many have battled with the condition for years. Doctors warn that sleeplessness leads to depression, lack of concentration and an inability to carry out simple tasks.

A hard day's night: Just 39 per cent of us get a proper night's sleep, according to new research

According to the findings of a major report, insomniacs are four times more likely to suffer from relationship problems. They are also three times more likely to have difficulties concentrating or be in a bad mood and twice as likely to have energy slumps.

A quarter of adults have other sleep-related problems such as teeth grinding or sleep apnea – a disorder characterised by abnormal pauses in breathing which causes sufferers to wake up in the night.

Just 39 per cent of us sleep well, according to the survey of 5,300 by the Mental Health Foundation. It is calling for sleep campaigns to make the public more aware of the importance of getting a good night’s rest.

It says children should be taught the health risks of lack of sleep at school and also recommends GPs are trained to better diagnose those with problems.

Dr Andrew McCulloch, of the Mental Health Foundation, said: ‘While great emphasis is rightly placed on the importance of diet and exercise, sleep has for too long been neglected as a major influence on the physical and mental health of the nation. It is crucial we treat the issue of sleep problems as the major public health concern it is.’

Experts say adults need at least five hours’ uninterrupted sleep every day to properly concentrate and function. It varies between individuals, however, with some needing as many as eight hours, some as few as three.

Meanwhile, pills to beat disorders linked with keeping unusual hours – from diabetes to even cancer – could be nearer after scientists claim to have unlocked the secrets of man’s biological clock.

Proteins called peroxiredoxins in red blood cells are key cogs in the 24-hour cycle, Akhilesh Reddy of Cambridge University told the journal Nature. Understanding how the 24-hour clock in cells works could lead to therapies ‘we couldn’t even have thought about a couple of years ago’ said Dr Reddy.