It is 2:41 a.m. You are tired but still awake. Your body wants rest, your mind keeps going and your thumb is still scrolling through Instagram.
Sound familiar?
Cloudpillo surveyed 625 people in Germany about their sleep. The results do not prove what causes poor sleep, but they do show which factors respondents commonly associated with their nights and which habits appeared alongside higher or lower self-reported sleep quality.
What respondents said was affecting their sleep
The survey included 327 women and 298 men and was conducted from 5 to 19 March 2025.
55.7% mentioned their own health, 53% mentioned work stress, 40.6% personal worries and 20.2% the weather as factors that affected their sleep.
About 5% even said rain or wind helped them fall asleep.
The clock change and sleep
Almost 41% of respondents said the clock change disrupted their sleep. 2.6% viewed it positively, while 40% said they noticed no difference.
Responses to clock changes vary from person to person, so these survey results should be read as self-reported experiences rather than a clinical finding.
Physical activity and sleep quality appeared related in the survey
Respondents who rated their sleep highly were more often physically active. More than 52% of people reporting eight hours of sleep said they exercised regularly, while 71% of those reporting five hours of sleep said they did not exercise.
This is an association in the survey, not proof that one directly caused the other. Sleep and activity can influence each other, and many other factors may also play a role.
Evening smartphone use and self-reported sleep
Among respondents with high self-reported sleep quality, 60% said they did not use their smartphone in the evening, while 40% still did. People who used their phone before bed were more often represented among respondents rating their sleep quality at 6 or below.
Screen use before bedtime can keep you mentally engaged, and bright light in the evening can affect the body's normal sleep-wake signals. If you notice that late-night scrolling keeps you awake, reducing screen use before bed may be worth trying.
You do not need a perfect routine
Small habits can make your evenings calmer. For example:
1. Include regular movement in your day in a way that suits you.
2. If your phone keeps you alert, experiment with putting it away before bedtime.
3. Make sure your bed, mattress and pillow feel comfortable for your body and sleeping habits.
Why Cloudpillo ran this survey
We wanted to understand which factors people themselves connect with better or worse nights. The survey gives a snapshot of 625 respondents in Germany; it is not a medical study and should not be treated as evidence that any single habit guarantees better sleep.
For Cloudpillo, the takeaway is practical: sleep comfort is personal, and daily habits and the sleep environment can both matter.
All figures and charts
Want to see the full results? View the complete survey and charts here.
For press enquiries, data or expert quotes: cloudpillo@laika.berlin
Conclusion
The survey suggests that health concerns, work stress, personal worries, activity levels and evening phone habits all show up in how respondents describe their sleep. Rather than looking for one universal fix, it can be useful to look at your own routine and sleep environment and change the things that are within your control.
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