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What is Considered “Restful Sleep?”

Sleep is undoubtedly one of the most important physiological responses to rest the body and mind. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that an adult should sleep for 7 to 9 hours, and older adults should sleep for 7 to 8 hours, but not less than 5 hours or more than 10 hours a day.

Health Benefits of Getting Good Sleep

Quality sleep decreases the high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, and rate of complications relating to heart diseases, kidney diseases, obesity, and stroke. Proper sleep also decreases gastrointestinal symptoms and diseases like reflux, peptic ulcer disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and liver diseases. Mood disorders, memory dysfunction, anxiety, and performance deficits are also common when sleep quality is poor.

Healthy Habits to Get More Restful Sleep

          1. Avoid Caffeine

Caffeine increases the brain’s alertness. Although the effect of morning and afternoon coffee on sleep quality is not clear, nighttime caffeine within the body alters the sleep pattern and prevents deep sleep.

          2. Avoid Nicotine

Consumption of nicotine gums, tobacco products, and cigarettes acts similarly to caffeine. These products are not healthy in any aspect, and should not be consumed. Chewing and smoking tobacco have many other disastrous health effects as well.

          3. Avoid Alcohol

Although many people find it easy to sleep when they consume alcohol before bed, alcohol actually makes you less sleepy during the second half of your sleep cycle.

          4. Get Regular Exercise

Any amount of exercise is healthier than no exercise at all. Exercise increases blood circulation within the body and reduces stress.

          5. Manage Stress

Day-to-day stress increases restfulness before sleep as well as throughout the night. Stress management strategies, including the perception of stress and ways to cope, should be practiced in order to get more restful sleep.

          6. Reduce Sleep Area Noise

Noises within the bedroom are more likely to increase the number of times a person wakes up. Although habituation to noises occurs with time, it can cause persistent nighttime restlessness. Luckily, there are various noise reduction methods that can be adopted.

          7. Proper Sleep Timing

Keeping your sleep and waking time regularized will increase the quality of your sleep.

          8. Avoid Daytime Naps

It is tempting to nap during the day when you do not have proper sleep during the night. But daytime napping for more than 30 minutes should be avoided in order to maintain nighttime sleep quality.

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References:

1.) Lichtenstein GR. The importance of sleep. Gastroenterology & hepatology. 2015 Dec;11(12):790.

2.) Medic G, Wille M, Hemels ME. Short-and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption. Nature and science of sleep. 2017;9:151.

3.) Irish LA, Kline CE, Gunn HE, Buysse DJ, Hall MH. The role of sleep hygiene in promoting public health: A review of empirical evidence. Sleep medicine reviews. 2015 Aug 1;22:23-36.