The BURP Method: Why a Sleep Scientist Says It Could Transform Britain’s Rest Crisis
New research by Hillarys, based on a nationally representative survey of 2,001 UK employees, paints an alarming picture of a nation running on empty.
Whilst the national average sits at 6.16 hours per night – already nearly an hour below the seven to nine hours recommended by the NHS – A significant portion of Britain’s workforce is faring far worse. Many Brits survive on as little as four hours a night. Only 1.25% of workers report getting more than eight hours, suggesting truly restorative sleep is now the exception rather than the rule during the working week.
Tom Coleman, sleep scientist at Hillarys, cautioned that the scale of the problem goes well beyond ordinary tiredness.
“When an estimated 17 million workers are regularly sleeping five to six hours a night, that is no longer occasional tiredness – it’s sustained physiological stress. Over time, the body begins to treat short sleep as the norm, even though it is operating in a constant state of recovery deficit.”
Sleep is when the body regulates hormones, repairs tissue, consolidates memory and processes emotional stress. Cutting that window short night after night has cumulative consequences – it reduces the body’s ability to fully reset, meaning people are starting each day already depleted rather than restored.”
The research points to work stress as Britain’s single biggest sleep disruptor, cited by 22% of respondents – suggesting the crisis is being driven by workplace pressure rather than lifestyle choices alone.
Mid-career workers aged 35 to 44 carry the heaviest burden, with more than half getting just four to six hours per night as they juggle career pressure, finances and family responsibilities. Younger workers face a different challenge: more than one in four aged 18 to 24 cite screen use as their primary disruptor, and around 40% of those aged 18 to 34 rely on caffeine to get through the day – compensating for inadequate rest rather than addressing its root causes.
Coleman warned that the long-term implications stretch well beyond productivity. Sustained poor sleep across midlife could reduce life expectancy by up to three years, and chronic sleep restriction at this level has been linked to increased cardiovascular risk, weakened immunity and metabolic disruption.
To help workers rebuild healthier sleep patterns, he developed the BURP method – four steps designed to work with the body’s natural rhythms rather than against them:
B – Build a bridge to sleep
For those whose thoughts race at bedtime, Coleman recommended giving the mind something calm and neutral to focus on.
“I call it cognitive chewing gum – visualising a relaxing holiday, replaying a positive memory, or gently following your breath. The aim is relaxation, not forcing sleep. When the brain has a low-stakes mental task, it’s less likely to spiral into stress or overthinking.
U – Unwind properly
Coleman was direct about one of the most common bedtime misconceptions: scrolling through a phone is not relaxation.
“It keeps the brain stimulated and exposed to light that suppresses sleep hormones, you need a consistent wind-down sequence involving stretching, a warm shower, dim lighting and reduced stimulation – repeated nightly until the brain begins to associate the routine with sleep.”
R – Reset with meditation
He recommended beginning with just three to five minutes of meditation per night and building gradually.
“Consistency matters more than duration; even short daily practice can help train your brain to associate bedtime with slowing down rather than staying alert.”
P – Pressurise your body through movement
Physical activity during the day increases adenosine – the chemical that drives the body’s natural urge to sleep.
“Exercise also helps reduce the nighttime secretion of cortisol, the stress hormone that can trigger waking in the night. Even moderate daily movement like walking, housework or light exercise can help build this pressure and support a more stable sleep cycle.”
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