Australians are suffering from a chronic lack of sleep according to new research commissioned by ibis hotels. The survey of more than 1,000 Aussies from across the country reveals that two thirds (66%) of all Aussies have had at least one sleepless night in the past fortnight and almost one in five (19%) have had more than four sleepless nights over the same period. Alarmingly, Aussie women are suffering the most with 50% saying they experience sleeplessness between one and three nights every two weeks.

More than half of all respondents say they don’t get enough sleep each night with 60% of Aussies saying they get seven hours or less and more than one quarter (27%) getting less than 6 hours. When it comes to bedtime, Australia is a nation of night owls with almost one third (32%) hitting the sack after 11pm. The state in bed latest is Victoria where more than 40% turn in after 11pm. In contrast South Australians are first to bed with one in five in bed before 9pm every night.

Adding to these issues, the research found that the majority (63%) of Aussies with kids under ten years old have them come into their bed at least once per month; more than one third (34%) experience this every night or several times per week. Those in the 25-34 age group are most likely to be disturbed by children with 40% saying they are disturbed every night or multiple times per week.

Nearly 55% of Aussies say they are able to get to sleep within 20 minutes of going to bed with one third nodding off within ten minutes. A further 20% of Aussie take longer than 30 minutes to get to sleep and just over one in 10 (11%) take an hour more to drift off. On waking, the majority of Aussies (56%) say they spring out of bed within ten minutes each morning. The research found that older generations are much more likely to get up quickly than their younger counterparts with 35% of 18-24 year olds rising quickly compared to 70% of those over 65. Interestingly 5% of Aussies lay in for around an hour before getting up each morning.

Sleep scientist Dr Carmel Harrington, who worked with ibis on the research, said: “Bedtime is strongly ingrained into our routine and habits. It is also dependent upon the people around us, who influence what we see as a ‘normal’ time to head to sleep. But it is important to realise that while our individual sleep needs differ, everyone should be aiming for a good sleep every night in order to keep you healthy and functional throughout the day.”

“Sleep is a time when all the systems of our body, including our brain, have the chance to rest and repair and without this our biological systems and our mood state suffer. On average, healthy sleep is considered to be about an 8 hour consolidated period from between 10 pm to 6 am, give or take an hour either side and ideally it should take no more than about 20 minutes to fall asleep. If you are waking in the night, it is a good idea to evaluate your sleep habits to see if there is anything you are doing that may be affecting how you sleep. For example, it is a good idea to stay away from all forms of caffeine in the afternoon, make sure you do not eat a big meal within 3 hours of bedtime and to switch off the computer at least one hour before going to bed. It is also very important that your sleeping environment is conducive to sleep. This means that the room needs to be dark, quiet and cool and that your bed is comfortable and supportive.”

Lack of sleep and sleepless nights are not the only frustration Aussies feel in the bedroom. Men bear the brunt of women’s wrath when it comes to annoyances in the bedroom with women twice as annoyed as men at snoring than vice versa (42% vs 21%). Twice as many men say nothing annoys them about their partner’s sleeping habits than women - suggesting men are the main culprits. One in 10 Aussies are frustrated that their partner has a different sleeping pattern to them, 9% are irritated by their partner stealing the covers at night and 8% find their partners different body temperature annoying.

Michelle Dyer, Marketing Manager for ibis said: "A good night’s sleep is imperative to feeling like you have a spring in your step the next day and our research highlights some fascinating trends happening each night across the country. As Carmel says, the key is getting enough sleep so that you are able to function the next day. At ibis, we are committed to providing our guests with a comfortable night’s sleep whenever they want to hit the sack and we are running a campaign for everyone to have a 'Happy Sleep'. So if you aren’t sleeping well, we strongly recommend doing something about it – there’s nothing better than a good night’s sleep!”