A STUDY has highlighted the sleep issues which Colchester residents are most concerned about, according to their online search habits.

For a UK-wide experiment, bedroom furnishing experts Bed Kingdom analysed Google search volume data for common sleep disorders.

This includes insomnia, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome (RLS), sleepwalking, night terrors, hypersomnia, bruxism, jet lag and sleep apnea, all to determine the most frequently searched conditions in the UK.

In Colchester, the most frequently searched condition was sleep apnea, followed by insomnia.

The rest of the top five included restless legs syndrome, sleep paralysis and narcolepsy.

Across the UK, sleep apnea was found to be the most common sleep issue searched by the public.

With an average of 147,253 Google searches each month, this medical condition causes sufferers to stop and start breathing during the night repeatedly.

Sleep apnea was the most searched-for sleeping condition in 72 out of the 73 UK cities analysed.

Some common symptoms of sleep apnea are loud snoring, periods during sleep where breathing stops (often reported by a family member or partner,) and gasping for air during sleep.

Insomnia, which was found to be the second-highest searched sleep issue, had 112,215 Google searches each month.

It is estimated to affect one in three people and leads to difficulty in getting to or staying asleep.

Restless legs syndrome, which causes an uncomfortable sensation that generates the uncontrollable urge to move the legs, had 90,696 Google searches across the UK.

Sleep paralysis, which ranked fourth, had 66,576 searches across the UK on average each month.

This condition is characterised by the terrifying inability to move upon falling asleep or waking.

Ranked fifth was narcolepsy, which had 43,564 searches on average each month.

The condition causes people to involuntarily sleep.

Ashley Hainsworth from Bed Kingdom said: “While stress is a significant factor, it's essential to recognize that sleep disorders can have diverse origins, from alcohol consumption to the type of bed you sleep in. 

“Overlooking this fact could lead to missed underlying health issues.

“It's important to seek professional advice and treatment if you suffer from any of the sleep conditions mentioned in this study.”