When it comes to all things sleep, the words quality and quantity are both frequently used. However, each has a very different meaning. In today’s post, we won’t be focusing on how long you sleep, but rather on how rejuvenating the sleep you actually are getting is.
After all, if you don’t wake up feeling your best, it’s impossible to live life to the full. Here’s what you need to know and look out for with regard to sleep quality to tell you more.
What Is Sleep Quality?
- Sleep latency – How long it takes for you to fall asleep. Generally, anywhere less than 30 minutes is considered good.
- Sleep waking – How often you wake up during your sleep. The more you wake up, the worse your sleep waking is.
- Wakefulness – How long you spend awake if you do wake up during the night. Someone with a good quality of sleep will be able to fall back to sleep quickly if woken up.
- Sleep efficiency – The amount of time you actually spend asleep while in bed. A good level is considered 85% and above.
Why Does Sleep Quality Matter?
Not all sleep is created equal. Sleep quality is similar to nutrition in that certain food may be filling or tasty, but that doesn’t mean it is actually nourishing your body. So instead of getting those vital nutrients and vitamins, your body ends up depleted. The same analogy is basically happening to your sleep, when the type of sleep you are getting just isn’t adequate enough.
Humans spend approximately ⅓ of their lives asleep. So it makes sense that if this sleep isn’t restorative it can easily affect your waking life, especially since our brains are most active when we’re asleep, acting essentially as a giant filing cabinet sorting through various thoughts and processes within the body.
In particular, deep sleep is needed for our brains to be able to fully recharge, and for our bodies to repair any damaged tissues. Hence, if you struggle to stay asleep for very long, or find yourself constantly tossing and turning in the night, it’s no wonder you’re feeling sluggish during the day. Caffeine is also no replacement for what your body needs either and that’s… sleep!
Signs Your Sleep Quality Is Poor
- Cravings for junk food
- Feeling hungry more often than usual
- Feeling stressed out
- Frequently waking up during the night
- Inability to concentrate
- Irritability
- Taking longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep
How To Improve Your Sleep Quality
Firstly, it’s always worth checking in with your doctor to ensure you don’t have any underlying medical causes of poor sleep quality, especially if the problem has persisted for some time.
The good news is that for the most part, there’s plenty of things you can do to improve your sleep quality. The main tips surround your sleeping environment, and how you wind down in the evening to prepare for sleep.
Your sleeping environment must be calm and comfortable, and free from distractions such as screens, noise, light and clutter. If anything is keeping your mind or senses alert then you must remove it, seen as anything that has the potential to keep you awake or wake you up in the middle of the night will affect your sleep quality.
Also, make sure there is a gradual shift from the busy, stressful events of the day to when it’s time to go to sleep, which should feel much calmer in contrast. Top tips here include putting those work emails away, exercising, spending time with loved ones, running a relaxing bath or reading a good book.
Optml
It’s not always easy to fix your sleep quality, even when you try everything that everyone else claims works for them. If you’re in search of an alternative solution, then Optml could just be the ticket.
Optml is a supplement to be taken twice a day that helps restore your energy levels, lowers stress, improves mood, and helps you to get a better night’s sleep. With ingredients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, Iron, Magnesium Citrate, Lavender Flower and Chamomile Flower, our Rest and Rise formula will help you feel like your best in no time by helping you feel energised in your daily life, along with promoting your sleep quality at night.