Good sleep is one of the three vital pillars of health and wellbeing alongside good nutrition and physical fitness, but it’s often treated as a ‘nice to have’, rather than an essential need. Interrupted and poor sleep is considered a necessary evil of life, rather than a crisis indiscriminately damaging large swathes of society. The average Brit gets 5 hours and 36 minutes uninterrupted sleep a night despite the fact that the NHS advises we get around 8-hours of good quality sleep.

Sleep deprivation (defined as regularly getting less than 6 hours of quality sleep a night) can lead to psychosis, increased risk of cancer, depression, irritability and inability to concentrate, obesity, and even death, and the science behind this is irrefutable. Better sleep leads to better mental and physical health, and with it, a happier, healthier society. From shift workers to students, patients and carers, early learners to overworked commuters, the population is helplessly suffering the effects of chronic sleep deprivation, unprotected by law.

With this petition, we want to successfully pressure the government to include ‘sleep’ in the Human Rights Act 1998, ensuring that everyone’s right to a good night’s sleep is protected.

The Right to Sleep campaign kicked off in August 2019, when eve sleep announced its aim to protect sleep by law with an open letter to Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Robert Buckland.

Since then, we’ve assembled a think tank of experts to investigate the implications of changing the law, and carrying out original research to highlight the impact a lack of sleep can have on the general population. The results will be published alongside this petition.

The petition will help form the next step in our effort to change the law and make a real difference to people across the UK struggling with the impact that poor sleep is having on their wellbeing.