UK Biobank releases world's largest sleep survey data 

The answers from an in-depth survey on sleep behaviour, quality and disorders are now available to UK Biobank approved researchers.  

This is the largest collection of sleep questionnaire results available to researchers globally and it is part of UK Biobank’s continuous work to expand the amount of health information held on our half a million participants. 

Approved researchers around the world can access this information via the UK Biobank Research Analysis Platform and analyse it alongside our existing genetic, imaging, proteomic, lifestyle and health data to accelerate research in the public health interest. 

Sleep data uncovered

We asked our participants nearly 140 questions about sleep and almost 180,000 responded. Survey questions included: 

• hours participants sleep per night

• use of devices before bed  

• trouble sleeping and reasons why  

• number of servings of caffeine a day  

These new data will help scientists to better investigate more than 30 sleep disorders, including insomnia, narcolepsy and restless legs syndrome. Understanding the causes and impacts of these conditions could revolutionise sleep treatments and support public health initiatives. 

"I was so pleased that UK Biobank created a sleep questionnaire as it is such a vital part of all our lives. There are so many people putting out ‘hacks’ and other poorly evidenced material on social media etc. that we really need the sort of clarity that UK Biobank numbers can provide."

Tim, a UK Biobank participant

A new era for sleep science  

The full results include first-of-its-kind information on sleep patterns and disorders. Researchers now have access to detailed data on:   

• work and sleep   

• quality of sleep   

• indicators of sleep conditions   

• consequences of suboptimal sleep   

• associated lifestyle and behaviours  

"These new data will put sleep science on a different footing, helping it be taken more seriously as a public health issue. Sleep affects every organ system, and yet scientists haven't yet had the tools to uncover links between a wide range of sleep disorders and health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes – like my research team is waiting to do. I know that UK Biobank’s network of global researchers is excited to start exploring these new data straight away."

Professor Martin Rutter, Deputy Chief Scientist at UK Biobank

Dr Jo Holliday, UK Biobank’s Scientific Study Development Group Lead, led the team that built the sleep questionnaire.

"Building such a large sleep questionnaire is no mean feat. It had to be straightforward enough to encourage our participants to take part, and detailed enough to cover the knowledge gaps that sleep researchers are clamouring to fill. “I am thrilled with the results – we achieved an extremely high response rate from our dedicated participants. This goldmine of data has delighted the members of the sleep research community who worked with us to design this questionnaire."

Dr Jo Holliday, UK Biobank’s Scientific Study Development Group Lead

New data beyond sleep

Alongside this wealth of sleep data, the latest update to UK Biobank includes: 

• Updated brain images for 15,000 participants, providing more detailed insights into the organ’s function and structure. This is part of the world’s largest imaging study

• Updated polygenic risk scores for 485,000 participants, covering 28 diseases and 25 traits

• Data on inherited herpes virus for 500,000 participants

For researchers interested in learning more about the sleep data, access our data browser Showcase online.

For participants interested in contributing further to UK Biobank, take a look at online questionnaires currently available to complete to help researchers find new insights into a range of health conditions. 

To learn more about how researchers are using UK Biobank to expand their understanding of sleep, read our research story.