Move over, New York … Aberdeen is taking over as city that never sleeps

NEW York may be known as the city that never sleeps, but it seems Aberdeen is not far behind.

• Compare and contrast: Aberdeen (left) and the Big Apple

According to a new survey, people living in the Granite City sleep for an average of just five hours and 23 minutes per night – making it the most sleep-deprived city in the UK.

Half of those who took part in the study described themselves as sleep-deprived.

While Aberdeen residents sleep less than most, those living in Norwich in Norfolk are the top sleepers, spending six hours and 38 minutes per night switched off from the world.

Nine in ten people living in the UK are almost always tired – and millions are risking their health by going without enough sleep, roughly eight hours a night, the study has found.

More than 3,000 adults were quizzed about their sleeping habits. An overwhelming 87 per cent said that they felt tired most of the time.

Half admitted that they routinely felt short of sleep and 27 per cent said they suffered from insomnia. A sleepy 17 per cent even regularly dozed off at work.

The average person wastes 64 minutes of possible sleeping time a night tossing and turning – or seven hours and 28 minutes a week and 16 whole days a year.

Money worries are the most common cause of difficulty sleeping, being cited by 48 per cent. They are followed by relationship troubles (34 per cent) and family troubles (33 per cent).

Partners' annoying sleeping habits are another major cause of unrest between the sheets.

Fifteen per cent said they had considered splitting up with their other half because of their irritating bedtime behaviour.

Loud snoring was the most common complaint, cited by 54 per cent. But duvet-hogging (32 per cent), fidgeting or kicking (29 per cent), taking over a side of the bed (24 per cent) and breaking wind (18 per cent) are other causes of friction.

Lack of sleep makes nearly two-thirds of us – 64 per cent – feel irritable, while 56 per cent are unable to concentrate and 37 per cent crave sugary, fattening foods.

Aberdonians get the least shut-eye, with just 19 per cent enjoying eight hours of uninterrupted sleep per night.

The North-east city also has the UK's highest proportion of insomniacs – 34 per cent – and a quarter of residents confess to dropping off at work.

They are closely followed by residents of Chelmsford in Essex, where the average is five hours and 26 minutes of kip. Next come Belfast (5 hours and 35 minutes), Birmingham (five hours and 42 minutes) and Gloucester (five hours and 47 minutes).

Meanwhile, 47 per cent of those in Norwich bag their full eight hours per night. Over a week, locals spend eight hours and 45 minutes longer in bed than their counterparts in Aberdeen.

Plymouth is the second sleepiest city, with residents averaging six hours and 25 minutes a night, followed by Sheffield (six hours and 24 minutes), Cardiff (six hours and 22 minutes) and York (six hours and 21 minutes).

The survey was commissioned by a TV shopping channel. Presenter Susie Adams said: "Getting a good night's sleep is so important – and even more so for people juggling busy lives at work and at home. By creating the right environment and spending time relaxing and unwinding before you go to bed, you can maximise your chances of an uninterrupted night's sleep."

The top five most sleep-deprived UK cities:

1 Aberdeen 5.23hrs

2 Chelmsford 5.26hrs

3 Belfast 5.35hrs

4 Birmingham 5.42hrs

5 Gloucester 5.47hrs

The top five sleepiest cities:

1 Norwich 6.38hrs

2 Plymouth 6.25hrs

3 Sheffield 6.24hrs

4 Cardiff 6.22hrs

5 York 6.21hrs