British adults not getting enough sleep or 'me time', survey claims

Research finds lack of money is biggest barrier to 'getting enough' out of life

Sleep topped the list of 40 things adults wished they had more of in their day-to-day lives (Rex Features)

British adults are not getting enough sleep, "me time" or fun, according to a new survey.

Researchers found exercise, holidays and Instagram likes were among the top 40 things respondents wished they had more of.

Others felt they did not have enough disposable income or good luck in their life.

The study was commissioned by Virgin Active.

It found that a lack of money was apparently the greatest barrier to “getting enough” in life, followed by a lack of time and lack of willpower.

Israel Rivera, head of group exercise at Virgin Active, said: “Our research shows there are a host of things we’re not getting enough of, including exercise.

"Exercise can be hard to fit into your life - between your job, family and trying to have a social life.

"But when you strike the right balance, and ‘enough’ becomes part of your life, you will find you’re able to achieve more than you ever expected, whether you have 30 minutes or hours to spare.''

Salary was also on the list of things adults were not getting enough of, along with some who claimed they were not getting enough sex.

Others felt they did not get enough emotional support in their day-to-day lives, as well as time with their family and work satisfaction.

The study of 2,000 adults also discovered exactly what Britons considered to be “enough”, with seven hours sleep considered ideal – although the average adult gets less than six hours in reality.

And while British adults do three hours of exercise a week, they believed double that would be the “perfect” amount.

Nearly seven in 10 of those polled via OnePoll felt celebrities and influencers created unrealistic expectations of how much exercise is “enough”.

It also emerged that more than one-quarter of Britons set themselves a health or fitness related New Year’s resolution, with half of those wanting to lose weight and one in three wanting to change their diet.

Others planned to do more exercise, including running, swimming or yoga.

However, 29 per cent were not able to stick to them.

Respondents were also disappointed by only getting an hour and a quarter of “me time”.

Britons also considered four and a half hours a day with their family “enough” but currently get just three hours.

SWNS