Two in three Brits stay up late just for uninterrupted ‘me time’

A poll of 2,000 adults found this rises to 87 per cent among Gen Z, but drops sharply to 42 per cent for Baby Boomers.

Nearly eight in 10 (78 per cent) use late evening hours to concentrate without interruption and 27 per cent are simply more productive at night than during the day. Young adults, aged between 18 and 24, are particularly likely to use the hours after 9pm to get things done, with 54 per cent spending the time on creative work, tasks or life admin – compared with 34 per cent of Millennials and just seven per cent of Boomers.

The research was commissioned by Samsung to celebrate the launch of its new Galaxy S26 Ultra, which was used to film content with Ashley Walters to show its low-light environment Nightography video features, inspired by the intimate moments that unfold under the cover of night.

The film features a host of characters and their individual journeys after dark – from a nurse leaving her son to head to work, to a blossoming romance, an established relationship, and a dad gently rocking his newborn.

The actor, who narrates an original poem exploring freedom and self‑expression at night, said: “I flew back from Budapest to work on this short film for Samsung and it was an amazing shift. I’ve always felt most creative at night; something about those quiet hours helps you really focus and get the ideas flowing.

“But what blew me away was the incredible detail that the camera on the device could pull out of the shadows. The way it captures the world, even in low light, exactly as we see it is impressive to say the least.”

Despite this shift towards night‑time productivity, the national average bedtime sits at 10:27pm, and while younger Brits are far more likely to stay up late, Gen Z go to bed at 10:41pm on average – yet still stay up past midnight three times a week. This compares with a national average of two nights a week and just one night among Baby Boomers.

The research also revealed 44 per cent feel most relaxed after 6pm – rising to 49 per cent among Gen Z and 48 per cent of Millennials. However, Gen Z (54 per cent) and Millennials (59 per cent) are also the generations most likely to work – or have worked – during the night. This is compared with Gen X (40 per cent) and Boomers (39 per cent).

When it comes to staying up late for leisure, bedtimes are pushed back to binge‑watch favourite TV shows (61 per cent), enjoy bedtime reading (38 per cent) or simply scroll through social media (31 per cent). But 15 per cent use the time to chat in person or connect with friends and family through a late‑night phone call.

Annika Bizon from Samsung added: “The night is an important part of modern life, whether people are catching up on work, enjoying some time to themselves or socialising.

“We can ensure that those late-night bursts of creativity or unforgettable social gatherings are documented with stunning clarity, transforming fleeting experiences into lasting memories.”