Britain sleepwalking into insomnia drugs crisis

MORE than one million people were prescribed sleeping tablets last year.

- BY MATTHEW DAVIS

Seaside resorts topped the list of places with the most people who find it impossible to get to sleep naturally.

GPs last year wrote eight million prescriptions for the drugs, costing the NHS £81million, data shows.

Experts claim our "always-on" lives are contributing to sleep problems, as sufferers find it impossible to switch off from email and social media dominated lives. They warn hard-pressed GPs are turning to "quick-fix" drugs that can be addictive.

Before tech was blamed for interfering with people's sleep patterns, traditional concerns such as stress and anxiety were often cited.

The English NHS stats show 1,077,000 people were prescribed sleeping tablets by their GP last year.