They say there are only two things you should ever do in bed – sleep and make love.

But for many of us, it seems the former wins out every time.

A survey of bedroom habits suggests that 85 per cent of women would chose a good night’s sleep over having an orgasm.

For men, perhaps unsurprisingly, the figure is much lower, with 52 per cent favouring a decent kip over a satisfying sex life.

The gender divide has emerged in a study of 1,800 people by Good Housekeeping magazine.

The difference could be because women’s sleep quality seems to be worse than men’s, with 61 per cent of women saying that it varies, compared to 53 per cent of men. But 79 per cent of all respondents admitted they struggled with sleep in general and said they were getting an average of one to two hours less sleep a night than they would want.

A survey of bedroom habits suggests that 85 per cent of women would chose a good night’s sleep over having an orgasm (stock image)

While the majority said that they would, ideally, have at least eight hours a night, only 15 per cent of women and 23 per cent of men said they were getting that.

The in-depth look at the UK’s sleeping habits also showed an interesting pattern of sleeping arrangements, with nearly one in ten couples who live together not sharing a bed. The study shows that 9 per cent of people in a co-habiting couple sleep separately – with 92 per cent of that number sleeping in separate rooms and 5 per cent sleeping in different beds in the same room.

Due to what is described as a ‘sleep gap’, there has been a surge in interest in sleep aids including sleep trackers, supplements, aromatherapy and specialist teas, according to the magazine.

Its survey found that 72 per cent of people have already spent money on sleep aids, while four in five would be willing to buy specialist mattresses and pillows to help them get better sleep.

Good Housekeeping is gearing up to reveal its Sleep Awards for the best sleep-enhancing products. Earlier this week Loughborough University announced it was working with Northampton mental health charity St Andrew’s Healthcare on a research programme into the sleeping patterns of its patients.

It will attempt to uncover what benefits lifestyle changes can have on sleeping patterns among those struggling with mental health issues.

Last year a similar study found that patients who engaged in regular physical activity were less likely to suffer from insomnia.