Receiving adequate sleep is usually the key to success. However, depending on your lifestyle, you may not need the whole 8 hours of rest that is usually recommended. Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. How you feel while awake depends partly on what happens while you sleep. During sleep, your body supports healthy brain function and maintains physical health. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, experts recommend that adults sleep between 7 and 9 hours a night. Adults who sleep less than 7 hours a night may have more health issues than those who sleep 7 or more.
According to the CDC, “The amount of sleep you get each day is essential, but other aspects of your sleep also contribute to your health and well-being. Good sleep quality is also important. Signs of poor sleep quality include not feeling rested even after getting enough sleep, repeatedly waking up during the night, and experiencing symptoms of sleep disorders (such as snoring or gasping for air). Improving sleep quality may be helped by better sleep habits or being diagnosed and treated for any sleep disorder you may have.”
If you cannot squeeze in 7-8 hours of sleep each day, reframe your focus on the number of hours you sleep per night to consider your sleep quality. Sleep quality means how well you sleep during the night. Consider these questions: Do you sleep overnight without waking up?
According to Eric Zhou, with the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, keeping a sleep diary to track and record your sleep is one way to better understand your sleep quality.
You can follow these easy steps: record the time you went to bed, document how long it took you to fall asleep, any nighttime awakenings (and, if so, how long you were awake), and when you woke up. Take note of how you feel waking up at the end of each day.
However, it’s important to note how unrealistic it is to expect perfect sleep every night. If you are having trouble sleeping, that can be due to the natural busyness of life, how you’re feeling emotionally, or your eating habits. When tracking your sleep quality, be sure to measure your sleep health holistically, not daily.
Three key strategies to support the quality of your sleep:
- Maintaining a consistent wake time, especially on weekends.
- Limit daytime naps to 20 to 30 minutes and at least six hours before the desired bedtime.
- Become physically active.
- Watch your diet (increase your fiber intake and limit the alcohol).