A new white paper published today by Care England in partnership with Ally Cares reveals a critical and often overlooked issue in care delivery: the chronic lack of sleep experienced by older adults in care homes across the UK.
The report draws on research and real-world data from over 5,000 care home residents, showing that many are getting fewer than five hours of uninterrupted sleep per night, with profound consequences for their health, safety, and quality of life.
The findings link poor sleep with increased risks of falls, infections, malnutrition, cognitive decline, and early hospital admissions. The report calls on care providers and policymakers to treat sleep with the same urgency and priority as nutrition, mobility, and medication.
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England commented:
“Sleep is not a luxury: it’s a fundamental part of good care. This report clearly shows that a lack of quality sleep is compromising resident health and driving avoidable hospital admissions. We must ensure sleep is no longer an afterthought but a core clinical consideration. We must embrace this opportunity to transform outcomes for the people we support.”
The report also highlights the role of technology and culture change in improving sleep outcomes. Ally Cares’ AI-powered resident monitoring platform has been shown to cut night-time awakenings by up to 50%, reduce falls by over 60%, and improve nutrition, medication adherence, and emotional wellbeing.
Thomas Tredinnick, CEO and Co-Founder of Ally Cares commented:
“Sleep isn’t a soft issue: it’s a clinical, safeguarding, and operational priority. We’ve seen that when care teams protect rest, residents eat better, engage more, and recover faster. Good sleep isn’t just good for residents, it makes life easier for staff, improves occupancy, and reduces costs. This report is a call to action to elevate sleep as a pillar of modern care.”
The Sleep Gap outlines a series of actionable recommendations for care providers, including integrating sleep data into care planning, reducing unnecessary night-time disruptions, and adopting quieter, more sleep-positive environments supported by intelligent monitoring technology.
The full white paper is available here.
