What is "Quality Sleep"?
We love sleep. And we love helping to educate you about why sleep matters and how it affects your life. But sleep and quality sleep are two different things. Getting QUALITY sleep is what really matters. Quality sleep is not just about getting enough hours of sleep, but also about getting restful, restorative sleep.
What is “quality sleep”?
We’d all love to look so happy and rested when we wake up.
Quality sleep is about the overall experience and benefits of your entire sleep process. It is about:
Getting enough sleep
Not waking up in the night
Falling asleep quickly
Feeling rested in the morning
Getting enough REM to feel restored
Why is quality sleep important?
Quality sleep is important for our overall physical and mental health and wellbeing. Lack of quality sleep can lead to a variety of health problems, including:
Headaches
Depression
Anxiety
Poor concentration
Short temper
Weakened immune system.
Quality sleep helps to restore our energy levels, improve our cognitive functioning and make us more productive. It is how we stay healthy and keep our bodies functioning as they should.
How to tell if you’re getting quality sleep?
If you’re getting quality sleep, you should wake up feeling refreshed and energized. You should also be able to focus and concentrate throughout the day without feeling tired or fatigued.
The easiest way to tell if you’re NOT getting quality sleep is to pay attention to how you feel during the day. You may feel tired and sluggish during the day, as well as experience difficulty concentrating and remembering things.
Some other questions you can ask yourself to determine if you’re getting good sleep are:
Do you fall asleep quickly?
Do you wake up during the night?
Do you feel rested in the morning?
Are you getting 8+ hours a night?
How to Get Quality Sleep
There are a few steps you can take to ensure that you get quality sleep.
First, make sure that you have a comfortable sleeping environment. Comfortable mattress and bedding (like pillows and sheets) are a good start. Even your pajamas and colour of your room can make a difference! Keeping your room dark and cool helps, too. White noise machines and blackout curtains can do a lot to build you a cozy sleep cocoon. You should also pay attention to anything that is disrupting your sleep at night. If your pet, for example, wakes you up every night and interrupts your sleep, you should consider shutting your door or not letting them in while you sleep. Removing disruptions can make a big difference to your sleep.
Second, try to establish a consistent sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. You can incorporate a pre-sleep routine to help you wind down. A great sleep routine includes putting away your phone, doing some stretching, meditating with a lavender candle and slowing down your mind.
Third, limit your caffeine and alcohol intake, as these can interfere with quality sleep. Caffeine should not be ingested after the afternoon. Certain foods have caffeine in it too so watch what you eat before bed!
Fourth, exercise regularly and avoid eating large meals close to bedtime. Exercising and getting outside is a great way to keep your health up overall, improve blood flow, use up extra energy and help you have fun. On top of exercising and eating healthy comes hydration! Being hydrated can help improve the quality of your sleep, too.
Finally, try to limit your exposure to technology before bedtime, as this can interfere with the body’s natural sleep cycle. The blue light from smart phones can even interrupt your normal hormone production and make insomnia more likely.
The impact between quality sleep and health
Sleep, and getting quality sleep has a direct impact on your overall health and wellbeing. Getting enough quality sleep helps to restore your energy levels, improve your cognitive functioning and make you more productive. It is what fuels you to live our your best life while you’re awake. Being well rested can regulate emotions and stress and improve your mood, as well as reduce the risk of certain health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Get quality sleep and feel the difference
If you find yourself answering the questions above and feeling concerned by your responses, it’s time to review your sleep habits and improve how you sleep. Booking a sleep study can be the best first step to discovering why your sleep isn’t doing what it should.