MPs often look like they have nodded off during a dull session in the House of Commons.

And there could be a good reason for them catching 40 winks when they can.

According to new research MPs are the most sleep-deprived group of workers in Britain.

On average, they just get five hours sleep a night.

The Sleep Council, which compared the sleep behaviour of eight groups of workers, claimed that if politicians were burning the candle at both ends to such an extent that it could affect their ability to make rational decisions.

So we asked our local MPs how much sleep they get and whether their work could suffer as a result.

North Swindon MP Michael Wills, Labour, says he does not have any problems getting enough sleep.

He gets six to seven hours a night.

He said: "Although my sleep budget is quite low, I don't think that my work is affected by it.

"Unfortunately, only my family is affected.

"I can manage without much sleep although it's not very healthy, I know.

"Sometimes I could do with some more."

South Swindon Labour MP Julia Drown said she has not had a full night sleep in six years.

She said: "I certainly could do with more sleep. I always hope for eight hours but never get it. I always get interrupted by

the children and haven't had an uninterrupted night for six years.

"I probably average about eight hours in bed but I get six hours sleep if I'm lucky.

"In the end you keep going and when you get a full night of uninterrupted sleep, you really feel the benefits.

"I do think politicians could do with more sleep because there is a macho tendency to make do with less and less sleep.

"During debates I have seen several politicians, always on the opposition benches, who have looked either asleep or meditating and I'm sure they were not meditating."

North Wiltshire MP James Gray sleeps for five to six hours a night on average.

"I don't sleep that much, but that's all right.

"Sometimes I take a quick snooze at noon and I can work again.

"This method is much more efficient than a long sleep and is called catnapping."

Mr Gray said there were many demands on his time but he managed to cope.

"Of course, it is necessary to sleep enough to work efficiently and I think I seem to manage my job with the amount of sleep that I get," he said.

"Certainly sometimes everyone wakes up and wants to sleep just a little longer."

Would-be Labour MP Anne Snelgrove, who will fight for the South Swindon seat when Ms Drown steps down at the next election, is well rested.

"At the moment I don't feel deprived at all and six to seven hours' sleep are more than enough."

The study, which was published to mark the start of National Bed Month, also found that more than half of the interviewees had problems falling asleep once in bed.

"I usually don't have troubles getting to sleep and fall asleep quite quickly but it's not unusual that I wake up in the middle of the night," said Mrs Snelgrove.

"Then I get up and do some things and it's quite a productive time for me."

South Swindon Tory parliamentary candidate Robert Buckland is already used to busy days.

"I don't get much sleep these days, because I have a young family which gets me up early and a busy job.

"I never expected being an MP and having a long lazy day but to face the physical challenges which will come with it."

North Swindon's Tory candidate and Abbey Meads councillor Justin Tomlinson thinks he knows the answer for the results and has drawn his own conclusions.

"I'm not surprised that after 66 stealth tax rises the Labour MPs can't sleep," he said.

"I do get enough sleep because you need a good night's sleep to function properly.

"I will do my best and get a good night's sleep every night if I am elected."

Claudia Brand