The sleepless Britons who need a nightcap to nod off

... and 12% of us no longer sleep with our partner

RIsING numbers of Britons are turning to nightcaps to help them get a good night’s sleep – and many are even shunning their partners, research shows.

A quarter of adults say they drink alcohol before nodding off, up from 16 per cent just four years ago.

And the rates of drinking were highest amongst the middle-aged, with 30 per cent of the 45 to 54-year-olds regularly boozing before bed.

this is compared to 25 per cent of all adults who said they used alcohol to help them sleep, although not every night.

this is perhaps hardly surprising, as the survey of 5,002 men and women by the sleep Council also found that we are a nation struggling to get enough rest.

some 45 per cent said they were kept awake by stress, while a quarter said they were regularly disturbed by their partner.

And a third of adults have suffered sleep problems for at least five years, including a fifth who have been troubled for a decade or more.

Just under three quarters – 74 per cent – sleep for the ideal seven hours or more, while an eighth get less than five hours.

As a result, couple are increasingly resorting to spending the night apart to get more sleep.

twelve per cent said they no longer sleep with their partner, a rise from 8 per cent in 2013. And 24 per cent said they now sleep apart at least some of the time, compared to 22 per cent in 2013.

Fewer people are also relying on books to help them nod off – just 26 per cent said they read at bedtime, a drop from 41 per cent four years previously.

more positively, today’s research revealed that fewer adults are checking their emails before bed – 6 per cent compared with 14 per cent in 2013.

However, it was the rise in drinking before bed which has most troubled researchers and chari- ties. Campaigners pointed out that although alcohol may initially help people drop off, the quality of sleep tends to be less deep and more disturbed.

Lisa Artis, of the sleep Council said: ‘the latest report is worrying on a number of fronts – particularly the facts which show we’re getting even less sleep now, the rise in alcohol consumption as a way of getting to sleep and the increase in couples who sleep apart.’

A spokesman from Alcohol Concern said: ‘Alcohol acts as a suppressant on the brain which, as a result, causes drowsiness. this is why some people use alcohol to help them sleep. Alcohol, however, actually stops you from getting deep sleep, which is the most restful part.

‘After a big night out, people can often wake up feeling less rested even after a night’s sleep.’

Previous studies have repeatedly shown that a good night’s sleep can improve the circulation, boost immunity and prevent obesity.

Research last year by the University of California found that sleeping badly raised the risk of an irregular heartbeat by a quarter.

Highest among middle-aged