Sleep Is the Missing Link in Quality Care
New Care England White Paper Highlights Need for Sleep-Positive Culture in UK Care Homes
In June 2025, Care England published a groundbreaking report: The Sleep Gap: The Overlooked Factor Costing Lives, Time and Trust in Care. The findings are unambiguous, care home residents across the UK are not getting the sleep they need, and the consequences are harming health outcomes, quality of life, and financial sustainability.
Ally Cares is proud to have supported this report with data from over 1,800 residents across our partner care homes. The evidence confirms what we’ve long championed: better sleep leads to better care.
The reality: Residents are missing hours of rest
Residents in care settings often experience frequent overnight disruptions with hourly checks, corridor noise, medical equipment, and unnecessary lights or alarms. These interruptions, while well-intentioned, are robbing people of essential rest.
The report finds that:
- Many residents are getting fewer than five hours of uninterrupted sleep per night
- Disrupted sleep is linked to falls, confusion, infections, mood decline, and poor appetite
- Lack of rest contributes to premature move-outs, hospital admissions, and reduced trust among families
The impact of sleep-positive care
Care homes using Ally’s AI resident monitoring technology have been able to shift from routine to responsive night care. The results speak volumes:
✔️ 50% improvement in sleep duration and quality
✔️ 85% reduction in high-risk falls
✔️ 56% reduction in hospital admissions
✔️ Significant decreases in infections and unnecessary medication use
When residents sleep better, they’re more alert during the day, eat better, stay active longer, and respond better to care. Families notice the difference too, which strengthens relationships and improves reputation.
Sleep as a strategic lever
The Care England report doesn’t just raise concerns—it offers a blueprint for action. It calls on care providers to:
- Integrate sleep into care plans, staff training, and handovers
- Rethink hourly checks and disruptive practices
- Use technology like Ally to enable alerts when residents need support
- Build a care culture that treats sleep as a clinical priority, not a luxury
Thomas Tredinnick, CEO of Ally Cares, comments:
“This report is a wake-up call for the entire care sector. Sleep is a core part of health, and yet it’s been consistently overlooked in residential care. We’re proud that Ally’s data could help illustrate what’s possible when we shift from disruption to protection and from routine to insight. Care homes can’t afford to ignore sleep any longer—not for residents, and not for their long-term sustainability.”
Take action: Download the report
If you’re a care provider, this white paper is essential reading. It combines real-world data, expert recommendations, and clear next steps to create sleep-positive care homes. Download the full report from Care England now:
Want to see how Ally is helping providers lead the way on creating a sleep positive care approach and transform night care without compromising rest? Book a virtual demo or contact our team today, visit www.allycares.com