Consumers in the United Kingdom are opening their eyes to a problem of modern life: Lack of shut-eye. BBC News recently reported on the results of a survey conducted by Legal and General that revealed the fast pace of modern life is the biggest health worry among average, everyday Britons.

The poll of some 5,000 people found that two-thirds of women and 58% of men sited lifestyle factors as their most common health concerns. Interestingly, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, fatigue, and stress ranked among their top five concerns, with passive smoking and drinking much lower down the chart.

Public health experts said the results reflected the pressures of the round-the-clock society in which we now live. According to the BBC’s coverage of the story, Angela Mawle, chief executive of the UK Public Health Association commented, “This research shows that the 24/7 society is getting to us.”

In the UK as in the United States—and virtually every western society, for that matter—the average worker is bombarded with phone calls, emails, Blackberry® messages, and the like. Add to that the pressures of managing a household, raising children, and caretaking for elderly or sick family members, and it’s easy to envision a sleep-deprived society.
 
In the UK poll, people were asked what they had worried about in the last 3 months. Lack of exercise topped the list, with 48% of respondents reporting that it was their number one health concern.

Lack of sleep followed as a close second at 42%, then fatigue at 34%. Additionally, 29% of respondents said they worried about availability of national health system (NHS) dentists, and 27% reported worries about stress.

Americans, too, appear to be sleep-deprived and they appear to be well aware of it. While “worried” may be too strong a word, certainly many Americans are concerned about a lack of sleep. In a similar US study, the National Sleep Foundation’s 2005 Sleep America poll found that 26% of respondents said they got a “good’s night’s sleep” only a few nights a month or less. Another 24% reported having a “good night’s sleep” a few nights a week. What’s more, the poll indicates that, on average, adults in America are sleeping 6.8 hours a night on weekdays—below the recommended 7 to 8 hours.

It doesn’t look like health concerns will put British pubs out of business anytime soon, however. Those pubs may actually help folks catch their nightly zzz’s. Recent research shows that people who socialize regularly tend to sleep better.

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