Half of Brits in their 50s have sleeping difficulties while 40% have become more anxious, research finds

Nearly half of people in their 50s experience trouble sleeping, a study has found.

The survey found that 46 percent of people aged 50 to 59 reported not sleeping well over the past 12 months, while 42 percent said they were more anxious over the same time frame.

Researchers at Kantar Research Express, commissioned by the charity Age UK, spoke to 2,621 people aged over 50 and also revealed a looming crisis in older people’s mental health.

As many as one in eight people aged 50 and over said they rarely or never had social contact with others in person, over the phone or online.

Other findings included over a third of 50 to 59-year-olds reported having more difficulty remembering things, while a quarter (26 percent) said they had more difficulty processing new information.

Almost half (48 per cent) of unpaid carers aged 50 and over said they had felt anxious in the past year, with more than a third (34 per cent) reporting feeling overwhelmed and over a fifth (21 percent) felt lonely because of the care or support they were responsible for.

Caroline Abrahams, Age UK director, said the findings demonstrated the gap between the provision of mental health support and the demand for help.

She said: ‘It is sobering to see how common mental ill health and absence of wellbeing is among our older population.

“Our research is a reminder of the huge gap that currently exists between the need for mental health support of all kinds, including talking therapies, and its availability.

“The fact that our research found that people in their 50s often also struggle with their mental health will come as a surprise to many, I think, and is an important wake up call for the NHS and our society.

‘Across the UK there are around eight million people aged 50-somethings, but their needs are generally overlooked.

‘It is often simply assumed that they are universally happy, fit and healthy, but our research paints a rather different picture.’

The findings come after a Center for Mental Health report last week found older people were being left behind by inadequate mental health services, ageism and the absence of a national strategy.

Nor is anxiety limited to physical or mental conditions.

Last month, the charity for older people’s financial difficulties, Independent Age, published figures which showed that 41 per cent of people aged 50 or over and not fully retired were worried about financial difficulties in their retirement.

The research also found that almost a fifth (18 per cent) of people aged 60-64 approaching retirement were living in extreme poverty.