Stress and long working hours are causing sleepless nights, often leading to people taking time off sick, new research showed today.

A survey of 1,700 adults revealed that only three per cent managed the recommended eight hours of sleep a night.

Almost one in 10 of those polled by hotel firm Travelodge said they had taken a day off work after a bad night's sleep.

One in three said it took them two days to recover after a sleepless night, while almost half complained they felt less confident if they were tired.