MPs face same sleep struggles as night shift workers, survey finds

MPs, peers and staff in Parliament have reported major sleep problems, with over 45% saying they had trouble sleeping on at least half the nights in a week. 

The survey, carried out by Night Club and the universities of East Anglia and Oxford, aimed to look at sleep health in Parliament and found the same issues seen in the general population. 

Over 40% of MPs said they were rarely happy with their sleep quality, and 78% were getting less than the usual seven to nine hours a night.

The results showed MPs and staff had more in common with night workers than many realised, as both groups struggle with sleep.

Night Club reported that lack of sleep costs the UK economy £52bn each year, with £35bn in lost productivity and £17bn in health and other costs. 

Night shift patterns also put pressure on the NHS, with night workers 44% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes and 37% more likely to have a heart attack.

Night Club has called for better protections for night workers, including annual health checks, a minister responsible for night shift workers and more research into night work. 

Lord Tom Watson, a Labour peer champion of the Night Club campaign, said: “It’s shocking, but perhaps not surprising how common sleep challenges appear to be for those of us working in Parliament.