A study by Manhattan Mental Health Counseling comparing sleep related conditions across 50 UK locations has identified Kingston upon Hull as having the poorest overall environment for rest, followed by Nottingham and Newcastle upon Tyne.
“Poor sleep can follow you into the next day, affecting your patience, concentration, and how manageable everyday problems feel. When your surroundings make it difficult to switch off, getting enough rest can become a recurring struggle,” said Natalie Buchwald, psychotherapist at Manhattan Mental Health Counseling.
Sleep difficulties are widely experienced, but local environmental factors can vary significantly between locations.
The study evaluated five key measures: sleep medication prescription rates, noise complaints, nightclub density, annual sunshine hours, and average temperature. These indicators were combined to create a Sleep Deprivation Index that compares local environmental factors rather than directly diagnosing sleep deprivation or measuring sleep duration.
Prescription rates carried the heaviest weighting at 40%, followed by noise complaints at 25%, and nightclub density at 15%. Sunshine hours and temperature each contributed 10%.
The study ranked the following locations highest on its Sleep Deprivation Index:
- Kingston upon Hull. Ranked 1st with a score of 70.48, recording 1,350 noise complaints per 100,000 residents, and approximately 51 nightclubs per 100,000 residents.
- Nottingham. Placed 2nd with a score of 70.39, driven by 2,130 noise complaints per 100,000 residents, the highest rate in the study.
- Newcastle upon Tyne. Ranked 3rd with a score of 69.99, recording the highest nightclub concentration at roughly 66 per 100,000 residents, alongside 640 noise complaints per 100,000 residents.
- Durham. Finished 4th with a score of 66.32, showing that high index scores were not limited to major metropolitan areas. It recorded 48 nightclubs and 590 noise complaints per 100,000 residents, alongside 1,480 annual sunshine hours.
- London. Completed the top 5 with a score of 63.43 and the 2nd highest noise complaint rate at 1,490 per 100,000 residents, despite having the lowest nightclub density in the study.
The best performing locations
Canterbury recorded the lowest overall score at 22.42, ranking 50th with 240 noise complaints per 100,000 residents and 3.2 nightclubs per 100,000 residents.
- Wolverhampton. Ranked 49th with a score of 24.86, recording 190 noise complaints and approximately two nightclubs per 100,000 residents.
- Wigan. Ranked 48th with a score of 28.11, with 210 noise complaints and 3.9 nightclubs per 100,000 residents.
- Chichester. Ranked 47th with a score of 28.93, recording the highest annual sunshine total at 1,919 hours and the highest sleep medication prescription rate at 913 per 100,000 residents.
- Colchester. Ranked 46th with a score of 30.69, recording 330 noise complaints and 4.2 nightclubs per 100,000 residents.
Full 50 UK cities ranking
| Rank | City | Noise Complaints (Per 100,000 Residents) | Average Temperature | Sunshine Hours | Nightclubs (Per 100,000 Residents) | Sleep Medication Prescriptions (Per 100,000 Residents) | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kingston upon Hull | 3 | 31 | 23 | 6 | 10 | 70.48 |
| 2 | Nottingham | 1 | 26 | 39 | 28 | 11 | 70.39 |
| 3 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 12 | 3 | 25 | 1 | 12 | 69.99 |
| 4 | Durham | 14 | 10 | 38 | 7 | 2 | 66.32 |
| 5 | London | 2 | 38 | 22 | 50 | 4 | 63.43 |
| 6 | Southampton | 6 | 50 | 7 | 11 | 7 | 62.70 |
| 7 | Brighton and Hove | 9 | 29 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 61.45 |
| 8 | Newport | 24 | 18 | 36 | 16 | 1 | 58.65 |
| 9 | Manchester | 14 | 7 | 47 | 14 | 6 | 57.80 |
| 10 | Southend-on-Sea | 30 | 35 | 2 | 33 | 3 | 57.41 |
| 11 | Portsmouth | 7 | 41 | 8 | 18 | 18 | 56.90 |
| 12 | Lichfield | 17 | 21 | 42 | 4 | 16 | 56.76 |
| 13 | Wells | 44 | 41 | 16 | 2 | 15 | 55.29 |
| 14 | Stoke on Trent | 14 | 6 | 41 | 40 | 9 | 54.28 |
| 15 | Birmingham | 23 | 15 | 34 | 35 | 5 | 52.56 |
| 16 | Sunderland | 39 | 3 | 25 | 27 | 17 | 52.07 |
| 17 | York | 4 | 17 | 20 | 43 | 25 | 51.99 |
| 18 | St Albans | 32 | 19 | 13 | 48 | 8 | 50.36 |
| 19 | Liverpool | 17 | 12 | 33 | 30 | 20 | 49.12 |
| 20 | Bradford | 33 | 1 | 46 | 13 | 26 | 48.93 |
| 21 | Plymouth | 19 | 28 | 5 | 10 | 33 | 47.97 |
| 22 | Leicester | 10 | 26 | 39 | 21 | 21 | 47.55 |
| 23 | Leeds | 11 | 1 | 50 | 20 | 29 | 47.42 |
| 24 | Bristol | 49 | 34 | 9 | 24 | 19 | 45.83 |
| 25 | Doncaster | 8 | 32 | 29 | 8 | 38 | 45.44 |
| 26 | Lincoln | 5 | 15 | 12 | 38 | 40 | 45.37 |
| 27 | Milton Keynes | 13 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 22 | 45.08 |
| 28 | Sheffield | 36 | 13 | 35 | 26 | 23 | 44.47 |
| 29 | Lancaster | 38 | 11 | 24 | 36 | 24 | 43.69 |
| 30 | Coventry | 33 | 23 | 32 | 19 | 27 | 43.10 |
| 31 | Derby | 39 | 14 | 37 | 22 | 31 | 41.05 |
| 32 | Bath | 28 | 36 | 18 | 23 | 32 | 40.55 |
| 33 | Winchester | 44 | 44 | 45 | 41 | 13 | 39.92 |
| 34 | Gloucester | 22 | 49 | 27 | 15 | 37 | 39.58 |
| 35 | Norwich | 49 | 25 | 15 | 3 | 47 | 38.76 |
| 36 | Oxford | 36 | 45 | 14 | 25 | 30 | 38.74 |
| 37 | Salford | 33 | 7 | 47 | 39 | 28 | 37.75 |
| 38 | Chelmsford | 25 | 46 | 11 | 29 | 35 | 37.26 |
| 39 | Worcester | 25 | 39 | 17 | 34 | 34 | 37.00 |
| 40 | Hereford | 42 | 33 | 30 | 17 | 41 | 36.84 |
| 41 | Chester | 30 | 7 | 47 | 42 | 36 | 34.60 |
| 42 | Cambridge | 28 | 40 | 28 | 12 | 46 | 32.87 |
| 43 | Peterborough | 48 | 20 | 10 | 47 | 39 | 32.03 |
| 44 | Wakefield | 20 | 5 | 44 | 37 | 48 | 30.95 |
| 45 | Exeter | 25 | 46 | 21 | 32 | 43 | 30.93 |
| 46 | Colchester | 39 | 23 | 6 | 44 | 45 | 30.69 |
| 47 | Chichester | 20 | 36 | 1 | 5 | 50 | 28.93 |
| 48 | Wigan | 46 | 43 | 19 | 45 | 42 | 28.11 |
| 49 | Wolverhampton | 47 | 21 | 42 | 49 | 44 | 24.86 |
| 50 | Canterbury | 43 | 48 | 4 | 46 | 49 | 22.42 |