Pressure cooker Britain

Britain has been revealed to be a nation of weepy, tired and stressful people. That’s according to new research by Pharmaton, which shows that almost two in five admit to bawling their eyes out when tired.

This includes one in eight men (13 per cent) and well over half of all women.

And with the clocks going forward this weekend, meaning we’ll all get an hour’s less sleep, it looks like next week will start off teary eyed.

This problem doesn’t just haunt us at home. One in ten Brits admit to falling asleep at their desk or crying at work, because they are so exhausted.

One in five has taken time off work to catch-up on sleep, whilst others who plough on through heavy eyelids admit to making an error with their work (24 per cent), or have forgotten to do something important (40 per cent).

So what are the causes of our stress and fatigue? Four in ten Brits say it’s work, work and more work (41 per cent) which follows them home.  Money matters (37 per cent) are also a big factor, as are weight or appearance issues (24 per cent). The vast majority of people – 78 per cent – believe society is more pressured than five years ago.

The UK’s response, according to the survey, is to hit the caffeine in order to combat the effects of sleep deprivation. Almost half (45 per cent) reach for a cup of coffee or tea to gain more energy and feel more mentally alert when suffering from fatigue. Others eat chocolate (25 per cent), or consume energy drinks and sugary snacks (10 per cent).

The top ten weepiest cities have been revealed as:

1. Cardiff
2. Southampton
3. London
4. Edinburgh
5. Newcastle
6. Nottingham
7. Norwich
8. Leeds
9. Manchester
10. Bristol

For more information, visit: pharmaton.com