Is there a better feeling than waking up after having a good night's sleep? For some people around the UK, it’s been far too long since they managed to experience this, and the idea of a long and perfect sleep is something only dreams are made of. 

There are a number of reasons why our sleep can be disturbed, such as a baby, nearby parties, old pillows and duvets that desperately need replacing, or even a barking dog. 

That’s why our experts at Sleepseeker have looked into which places in the UK have made the most noise complaints, and what the most common type of noise complaint is. We’ve also found out what worries are keeping us up at night, and how you can rediscover what a good night’s sleep feels like. 

The Most Sleep-Disturbed Places Outside of London

We’ve looked at which UK local authorities outside of London have made the most noise complaints in the 2021 calendar year.

1 - Aberdeen City Council - 2,245 noise complaints per 100,000

Aberdeen takes first place with 2,245 noise complaints per 100,000. Aberdeen had a total of 4,459 noise complaints, with the majority of these because of loud music. Aberdeen also had the second highest complaints about anti-social behaviour, with 711.  

2 - Southampton City Council - 2,007 noise complaints per 100,000

Southampton takes second place with 2,007 noise complaints per 100,000. Southampton had a total of just over 5,000 noise complaints, with almost 2,000 of these complaints being about loud music. Southampton was also the only city to complain about noise from the docks.  

3 - Belfast City Council - 1,943 noise complaints per 1000,000

Belfast completes our top three with 1,943 noise complaints. The capital of Northern Ireland had almost 600 more complaints per 100,000 than fourth-placed Swansea, as well as the third-highest total complaints with 6,644.

The Least Sleep-Disturbed Places Outside of London

We’ve looked at which local authorities have filed the fewest noise complaints to discover the least sleep-disturbed people in the UK.

1 - Norwich City Council - 70 noise complaints per 100,000

Crowned our least sleep-deprived place in the UK is Norwich with just 70 noise complaints per 100,000 people. Norwich also recorded the fewest total noise complaints with just under 100 noise complaints during 2021. Exactly half of Norwich’s total noise complaints were a result of loud music. 

2 - Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council - 105 noise complaints per 100,000

Bolton takes second place with just over 100 noise complaints per 100,000. Bolton also had the second-fewest total noise complaints in the UK with 301. Like Norwich, most of Bolton’s noise complaints were because of loud music. Bolton also recorded the most complaints about fireworks, with 14 noise complaints. 

3 - City of Edinburgh Council - 116 noise complaints per 100,000

Completing our top three is the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh, who recorded 116 noise complaints per 100,000. Edinburgh’s grand total was 614, with over half of these coming from commercial noise. Edinburgh also had 129 complaints about alarms. 

The Most Sleep-Disturbed London Borough

London is the most populated city in the UK, made up of 32 boroughs. We wanted to find out which of these London boroughs filed the most noise complaints in 2021.

1 - Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council - 5,536 noise complaints per 100,000

Hammersmith and Fulham takes the top spot with just over 5,536 noise complaints per 100,000 people. The most frequent complaint was due to loud music, followed by domestic complaints, and parties. Interestingly, Hammersmith and Fulham had one of the lowest populations out of the London boroughs, with just three below them, as well as the third most noise complaints in total. 

2 - Newham Borough Council - 4,202 noise complaints per 100,000

Newham takes second place with 4,202 noise complaints per 100,000. In the east part of inner London, Newham’s residents have made a total of 14,753 noise complaints in 2021. Most of these complaints were because of people, which made up over 9,000 Newham’s total. Newham also has one of the highest populations out of the London boroughs.

3 - Lambeth Borough Council - 3,784 noise complaints per 100,000

Completing our top three is Lambeth which filed 3,784 noise complaints per 100,000 people. The South London Borough made just over 12,000 noise complaints in total during the course of 2021, the second-highest total in our list.

Most Common Noise Complaints in the UK

We’ve looked at the different types of noise complaints filed by residents to discover the most common reason people complain about noise.

1 - Music - 35,643 noise complaints

Music was the most common reason people filed noise complaints, with over 35,000 complaints. Listening to music is great, especially in social circumstances or when helping time pass by at work. However, being cautious with volume is important when considering neighbours close by. 

2 - Domestic - 17,851 noise complaints

Domestic noise was the second most frequent complaint with almost 18,000 cases in 2021. Domestic noise covers several different complaints, localised in someone's house. Similar to complaints about people, domestic includes raised voices, banging, loud televisions and radios, and DIY activities. 

3 - People -  15,628 noise complaints

Completing our top three is complaints against people, with 15,628 complaints made about the noise of people. This includes a number of complaints, such as raised voices, banging, noise from housework etc. A lot of these complaints came from Newham who recorded over 9,000 complaints in this category.

The Most Common Worries that Keep you up at Night

It’s not always the external noise that can keep you up at night. Life is stressful and some of these worries can have a detrimental effect on your sleep. That’s why we’ve conducted a survey to find out what worries are keeping you up at night.

1 - Your career or work - 52.8% of people can’t sleep worrying about this

Your career or work takes up a large part of your life, and as much as you might love your job, it’s natural for things not to go your way in the workplace. This stress was the most sleep-restricting worry with 52.8% of people experiencing this. 

2 - Money - 50.4% of people can’t sleep worrying about this 

Money closely follows in second place with exactly 50.4% of people struggling to sleep worrying about their finances. This is completely understandable, especially with the cost-of-living crisis making times harder for everyone. 

3 - The Future - 45.9% of people can’t sleep worrying about this

Thinking about your future can be incredibly daunting. However, it's an important thing to think about, whether it’s your career, the next step in your life, or relationships. This intimidating feeling completes our top three with 45.9% of people struggling to sleep with this worry.

Most Common Financial Worries Keeping People Up at Night

With financial worries being one of the most common reasons people can’t sleep at night, we’ve looked into the specifics to find out the areas of finances that stop people from sleeping.

1 - Energy Bills - 52.5% of people can’t sleep worrying about this

Energy bills are getting more and more expensive, so it’s no surprise that this takes the top spot. 52.5% of people are struggling to sleep as a result of the rising energy costs despite prices being fixed. The current energy price cap stands at 34p per kWh for households.   

2 - Low Savings - 49.4% of people can’t sleep worrying about this

Low savings are the second most common financial worry that keeps people awake at night, with 49.4% of people experiencing this. As important as saving is, it’s more difficult than ever with prices and bills becoming more expensive. 

3 - Rent/mortgage payments - 40.6% of people can’t sleep worrying about this 

Completing our top three is rent and mortgage payments, where 40.6% of people are struggling to sleep because of this worry. For most people, rent or mortgage payments will be the biggest bill, taking up the largest portion of their monthly outgoings. Therefore, it’s no surprise that this type of worry makes the top three. 

How Does Sleep Affect People

Using the same survey, we’ve looked at the effects of poor sleep, what helps people get to sleep and what distracts them, and what type of sleep conditions people suffer from.

How poor sleep affects your life: Concentration - 74.1%

A bad night’s sleep can affect your life in a number of ways. The most frequent answer was concentration which was chosen by 74% of our respondents. Motivation, productivity, and overall happiness followed behind with over 60% of respondents choosing these answers too. 

The most common method people use to help them get to sleep: Full Darkness - 44.6%

Almost 50% of people chose full darkness as the method which helps them get to sleep. This was followed by reading, and avoiding screen time which was chosen by 32% and 28% of respondents respectively.

The most common distraction whilst trying to sleep: Temperature (too hot) - 75.5%

Warm temperatures were the most common distraction whilst trying to sleep, with over 75% of our respondents choosing this answer. This was followed by light, chosen by 63.3% of respondents, and outside noise, chosen by 57.4% of respondents.

Most common sleep condition: Snoring - 47.7%

Snoring was the most common sleep condition people suffer from, with almost half of our respondents snoring whilst they sleep. This was followed by nightmares and sleep talking which was chosen by 35.9% and 20.9% of respondents respectively. 

How to Sleep through Noises and Worries

If you’re someone who’s struggling to sleep due to noises and worries, then we’ve got some tips to help you get that good night’s sleep you deserve.

1 - Get out of bed!

If you’re in bed and struggling to sleep, then get out and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy again. Try doing something in dim lighting, such as reading a book, doing a puzzle, or listening to relaxing music. However, if you are to try this, avoid going on your phone or computer, or watching television.

2 - Don’t check the time.

Have you ever been in bed, struggling to sleep and checking the time thinking about how much sleep you could get if you fall asleep then and there? Well, this will not help you fall asleep any quicker, or take your mind off any worries you may have. Instead, this will just increase your stress levels worrying about how little sleep you could end up getting. 

3 - Move your bed

If the noise is stopping you from sleeping, then try moving and positioning the bed as far away from the noise as possible, and away from any outside walls. This might seem like a small change, but it could make a difference to your sleep quality and quantity. You could also try moving heavy furniture next to the wall as a way of blocking the noise out.

4 - Earplugs

They might take a bit of time to get used to, but a good pair of earplugs could help reduce the background noise that’s stopping you from sleeping. However, if you are to invest in some earplugs, avoid getting earplugs which block out noise higher than 32 decibels as this will allow you to hear important noises like alarms and crying children. 

5 - Avoid caffeine late in the day

Caffeine can stay in your system for up to ten hours, so having a caffeinated drink with dinner, or having a cup of coffee or tea with dessert can make it more difficult to sleep when it comes to bedtime. 

Helpful Charities 

It might feel like you are alone in your struggles, however, times are tough for everybody. There is help out there and talking to someone may ease those stresses. Below are three helpful organisations which can give you advice and guidance to assist you during these uncertain times

1 - Step Change Debt Charity

If you are someone who struggles to sleep due to financial difficulties such as debt, then Step Change Debt Charity may be able to help you. Step Change offer incredibly useful advice for a number of different financial situations, whether it’s help with debt, or paying your mortgage. As well as advice, Step Change offer schemes and plans to help you manage. 

2 - National Debt Line

Similar to Step Change, National Debt Line is a charity that offers guidance and advice for dealing with debt. They also offer tips on dealing with the cost of living crisis, as well as support in making the most of your money. They also offer free tools to help you pay off debts in a sustainable way. Budgeting can be a difficult and daunting task, however, the advice offered can make it more manageable. 

3 - Mental Health Foundation

As we revealed earlier, 61.2% of people’s overall happiness is affected by poor sleep. Sleep deprivation coupled with the stresses life can bring, can cause your mental health to spiral. You are not alone! The Mental Health Foundation can offer programmes which help you deal with your mental health, as well as numerous links to other charities, such as Mind and Samaritans who offer support through talking to people. 

Methodology

We sent out an FOI request to the top 50 most populated local authorities, as well as all the local authorities in London, regarding the total number of noise complaints, as well as the different types of complaints they had received during the 2021 calendar year. 

We used this information to reveal the most sleep-disturbed places and the most common noise complaints in the UK.

Some local authorities will be missing. This is because they either didn’t respond or did not have the information. Each local authority categorised the complaints differently.

We used a Google survey to discover the different types of worries that kept people up at night. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to answers where more than one choice was selected. The survey had 250 responses. 
Finally, we used Harrison Spinks and Sharp for tips on how to sleep through worries and noise.