As a leading digital healthcare enterprise to the corporate market, Somnology is committed to the remediation of sleep disorders. Our comprehensive sleep care platform SLaaS® (Sleep Lab as a Service) provides the benefits of sleep evaluation, continuous accurate monitoring, and telehealth sessions with experienced healthcare advisors focused on improving sleep.
Maybe you have zero issues getting plenty of sleep every night. In fact, you may even pride yourself on getting a consistent eight hours. However, when you wake up you cannot help but feel as if you have not slept at all. Sound familiar? If you answered yes, your sleep quality may be to blame. Keep reading to learn how to start getting the sleep you deserve.
What Qualifies as Good Sleep Quality?
Sleep quality measures how well you sleep each night. The following are indicators of good sleep quality:
- Going to sleep within 30 minutes of getting into bed
- Sleeping through the whole night or waking up only once
- Sleeping the recommended amount for your age
- Falling back asleep easily if woken up
- Feeling rested and refreshed after a night of sleep
Why is Sleep Quality Important?
The quality of your sleep plays an important role in your overall health and functioning. Poor sleep quality has been shown to increase the risk for certain issues like diabetes, hypertension, and weight gain. This study shows a correlation between individuals with weight-related issues and their likelihood of being diagnosed with diabetes.
Signs Your Sleep Quality Could Use Improvement
If you experience any of the following, odds are your sleep quality could use improving:
- Taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night
- Consistently waking up several times a night
- Lying awake for longer than 20 minutes before falling back asleep
- Being asleep for less than 85% of the time you are in bed
- Drinking excess caffeine to compensate for increased exhaustion
- Gaining weight due to an increase in appetite
- Experiencing changes in mood, such as irritability
Reasons for Poor Sleep Quality:
There are several factors that can lead you to suffer from poor sleep quality. Speak to your doctor if you believe any of these could be the culprit.
Poor Sleep Hygiene
Poor sleep habits, like drinking too much alcohol or caffeine, can wreak havoc on your sleep. It’s vital to stick to a regular sleep schedule and avoid drinking excess caffeine too late in the day. Despite being classified as a sedative1, alcohol is proven to disrupt sleep.
Daily Stressors
Mental health and sleep have a bidirectional relationship. Meaning each can adversely impact the other. When struggling with depression, you might find yourself having increased difficulty sleeping at night. Likewise, the insomnia brought on by anxiety and depression can lead to even more mental health issues2.
Chronic Health Problems
Several chronic health issues such as lung diseases, acid reflux, asthma, and renal disease are correlated to disrupted sleep3. Just as with mental health, chronic health problems and decreased sleep have a vicious, cyclical relationship.
Sleep Apnea
Individuals suffering from sleep apnea gasp, snore, and choke in their sleep. Sometimes, they even stop breathing briefly. Two of the most common side effects of sleep apnea are lack of energy and exhaustion.
Certain wearable technologies now have the ability to track and diagnose sleep apnea.
Sleep Disorders
Many sleep disorders go undiagnosed unless an individual has the means to undergo a sleep test. Unfortunately, these can be difficult to access and interpret due to the small number of sleep experts4 in the country. Some are only alerted to a problem thanks to feedback from sleep partners.
Tips for Improving Sleep Quality
Thankfully, improving your sleep quality can be as simple as brushing up on sleep hygiene. Just as with any aspect of your health, there are steps you can take to improve how well you sleep.
- Use blackout curtains to keep your bedroom nice and dark, and set your thermostat to the mid 60s.
- Turn off and avoid using any electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Try reading a book, listening to a relaxing playlist, or doing yoga instead.
- Wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day. This trains your brain to power down at the correct time every day.
- Ensure you are able to get between seven to nine hours of sleep a night. If not, you may need to adjust your routine.
- Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages at least five hours before bed.
If your sleep quality does not improve after implementing the suggestions above, then it might be time to talk to your doctor or undergo a sleep study. Through continuous monitoring, SomnoRing® can ensure you are on your way to better sleep quality.
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