Technology Beats Sex

A new survey by the Sleep Council has brought a thoroughly modern wrinkle to the old ‘No sex please, we’re British’ cliché.  According to the responses, 22% of people set their alarms not the old way, but on their BlackBerrys, while many – up to a third of Brits, especially inEast Anglia – start sending texts when in bed. In the North West they seemingly like their MP3 players in bed, with 16% of respondents using them. And across the country, 20% of people get into bedand boot up the laptop, to either go on social networking sites or simply play computer games.   More Brits check that their devices are on charge than pray.   Many couples go to bed atseparate times, and a number don’t even sleep together, although of weeknights they tend to be between the sheets, or under the duvet, between 10 and 11 pm.   “Busy night timeroutines are driving couples’ bedtimes and even their bedrooms apart,” says Jessica Alexander of The Sleep Council, “Nine per cent of those questioned admitted to alwayssleeping separately from their partner.”