Waking up to some harsh truths on sleeping...

The average British person sleeps for just six hours and seven minutes per night – well below the traditionally recommended eight hours, according to a survey published today.

Half of those who took part in the study described themselves as sleep deprived.

People are least successful at getting their heads down in Aberdeen, where the average resident sleeps for just five hours and 23 minutes per night.

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Meanwhile those living in Norwich are top sleepers, spending six hours and 38 minutes switched off from the world per night.

The survey, commissioned by multimedia retailer QVC, questioned more than 3,000 people across the UK about their sleeping patterns.

Nearly two thirds (64 per cent) said lack of sleep was to blame when they felt irritable, while 56 per cent said it left them unable to concentrate, and 37 per cent said it made them crave sugary fatty foods.

Aberdeen, the capital of sleep deprivation, is closely followed by Chelmsford, where the average nightly sleep is just five hours and 26 minutes, and Belfast, where residents sleep for five hours and 35 minutes.

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Birmingham came in fourth, five hours and 42 minutes, while Gloucester was fifth at five hours and 47 minutes.

The second most sleepy city after Norwich is Plymouth, with residents enjoying an average of six hours and 25 minutes per night. Sheffield is third with six hours and 24 minutes while Cardiff and York complete the top five with six hours and 22 minutes and six hours and 21 minutes respectively.