Nearly half lose sleep every night, with broken nights taking a toll on health, wellbeing and everyday life
Three quarters of people (75%) regularly miss out on an uninterrupted night’s sleep, with almost half experiencing broken sleep every single night, according to new research.
The survey, commissioned by Hygge Sheets to explore the impact of incontinence on sleep, found that 75% have their sleep disrupted at least several nights a week, including almost half (49%) who said it happens every single night. Overall, almost nine in ten (88%) said incontinence has affected the quality of their sleep, highlighting the long-term impact repeated night-time wake ups can have on people’s health and wellbeing.
The lack of quality sleep is also affecting almost every aspect of daily life. Nearly three quarters (74%) said it had affected their social life, while more than half reported an impact on both their physical health (56%) and mental wellbeing (53%). Almost four in ten (39%) said it had created financial pressures, 38% said it had affected their relationships and one in six (16%) said disrupted nights had impacted their work.
The research included both people living with incontinence and those supporting a loved one, highlighting that disrupted sleep often affects entire households rather than one individual. Nearly two thirds (63%) of respondents were caring for someone else, while 38% were living with incontinence themselves.
Despite sleep being the most common issue identified, only 12% of respondents said they never experience disrupted sleep because of incontinence, underlining just how common sleep loss has become for those affected.
Common themes running through the responses included interrupted sleep, constant tiredness, anxiety around bedtime and the feeling of never fully switching off. Respondents described being woken repeatedly to change bedding, deal with accidents or help a loved one before trying to settle back to sleep, often knowing they would be up again before morning. Several said they had become so used to broken nights that they struggled to remember what an uninterrupted night’s sleep felt like.
One respondent said: “I’m up every night, sometimes every hour.” Another added: “The exhaustion is relentless.” A third said: “People don’t understand how much sleep you lose.”
For many, the challenge wasn’t simply the practical task of changing bedding or dealing with accidents. It was the uncertainty of not knowing whether they would be woken once or several times, and the cumulative effect that months or years of disturbed sleep had on their health and wellbeing.
The research was commissioned by Hygge Sheets, which creates practical bedding products designed to make wet nights easier to manage while helping people get back to sleep more quickly. Inspired by the Danish concept of hygge, the brand was founded to reduce the stress and disruption that often comes with nighttime accidents and incontinence.
Founder Catherine Longland said: “When I read through the responses, one thing stood out straight away, and that was sleep. So many people weren’t just having the occasional disturbed night. They were being woken several times a week and, for almost half, it was happening every single night.
“When that becomes your normal, it affects so much more than sleep. You’re exhausted, your wellbeing suffers, and everyday life becomes harder.
“Reading people’s experiences really brought home to me just how much they are dealing with, often over months or even years. We hope these findings help more people understand that reality and make it easier to talk openly about incontinence without stigma.”
Hygge Sheets and their full range are available online at www.hygge-sheets.com
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