Improving sleep quality: How can it be measured?

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Although it is well known that sleep quality is important to overall health, there is no single definition of sleep quality set forth by sleep experts. Instead, sleep quality is often determined by the sleeper himself. What makes “quality” of sleep different, as people have different lifestyles, habits, and needs.

1. What is sleep quality?

Sleep quality is different from sleep quantity. Sleep quantity measures how much sleep you get each night, while sleep quality measures how well you sleep.
Measuring sleep counts is simple, as you can quickly determine if you're getting the recommended amount of sleep each night (usually defined as 7-9 hours for adults).
In general, good quality sleep is defined by the following characteristics:
You will fall asleep immediately after going to bed, in 30 minutes or less. You usually sleep straight through the night, waking up no more than once per night. You probably get the recommended number of hours of sleep for your age group. You'll be back to sleep within 20 minutes if you wake up. You feel rested, restored and energized when you wake up in the morning.

2. Why is sleep quality important?

There are many factors that consistent sleepers report when assessing whether their sleep is of good quality, including sleep disturbances, bedroom environment, and daytime sleep habits. Feelings the next day such as feeling rested and restored after waking up also affect whether someone feels they got quality sleep.
However, sleep quality and sleep quantity are not directly related. In other words, people can sleep for a long time, but it can have disturbed sleep and therefore not be considered quality sleep. Although sleep quality and quantity are different measures of sleep, both are influenced by other factors.
Quality of sleep is important for a number of reasons. Just like breathing, eating and drinking, sleep is a basic human need. It affects a person's ability to feel rested and energized for the next day and reduces daytime sleepiness. Quality sleep supports mental and physical health and contributes to overall quality of life.
Sleep also contributes to human development. For this reason, babies, children, and teens need more sleep than adults. People of all ages need sleep to prevent illness or recover from illness or injury.
Poor sleep quality and lack of sleep can have many negative effects. They can be physiological, including an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Negative psychological effects such as increased irritability or development of anxiety or depression.
A lack of quality sleep can even affect your safety or the safety of others. For example, driving without sleep can cause an accident, injury or even death to yourself and others.

3. What factors affect sleep quality?

Factors that can affect sleep quality include:
Irregular sleep schedule: Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day can improve your sleep. Sleeping environment: The bedroom should be quiet and dark, without too many lights. Blue light from electronic devices such as TVs, computers and phones enhances alertness and should be avoided a few hours before bedtime. Drinking too much caffeine or alcohol: These drinks can interfere with a person's ability to fall asleep. Medications: Certain prescription medications, such as diuretics that increase the need to go to the bathroom, can wake users up during the night. Sleep aids, whether over-the-counter or prescribed by a doctor, can cause daytime sleepiness and other side effects. Snoring: Although some snoring is normal, excessive snoring can affect the sleeper or the sleeper's partner. This type of snoring can be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Sleep disturbances: Disturbances such as insomnia can make it difficult to fall asleep and lead to poor sleep quality. Terrifying and often stimulating dreams, which can affect sleep quality, are among the nighttime symptoms of narcolepsy. Mental health disorders: Depression and anxiety disorders are common in people with insomnia. These can lead to nighttime thoughts or an inability to relax and sleep well. Other factors, such as diet, exercise during the day, travel, and other pain or illness can all affect the quality of your sleep.

4. How can you calculate your sleep quality at home?

To calculate your own sleep quality, you can start by answering a few basic questions about your sleep habits, including:
How long does it take you to fall asleep? While the time it takes a person to fall asleep can vary, regularly taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep is an indicator of poor sleep. How long do you stay in bed? People who spend less than 85% of their time lying in bed but not sleeping have poor sleep efficiency. How often do you wake up during sleep, and how long are you awake? To get quality sleep, it should take you less than 20 minutes to fall back asleep. You should also consider questions about your daytime waking habits, including:
Do you find it difficult to get up in the morning? Do you find it difficult to stay awake or focus during the day? Do you ever fall asleep or take frequent naps? It is often helpful to keep a sleep diary to answer these questions and to note how you sleep when you wake up each morning and write down your daily routines and activities before going to bed. A sleep diary can help you identify factors that affect your sleep. Based on that, you can adjust your habits if possible or share your observations with your doctor for guidance on how to make adjustments to help you get better quality sleep.

5. How to measure sleep quality

If you feel like you're not getting quality sleep, you're not alone. To ensure you get quality sleep, you can create a sleep-friendly environment, practice good daytime habits, and implement other strategies for healthy sleep.
If your difficulties in achieving quality sleep persist, consult your doctor for additional strategies. Professionals can assess sleep quality through sleep studies and tools like the Pittsburgh Quality Sleep Index (PSQI). The
PSQI is a series of questions about sleep-related behaviors and is used in both clinical and research settings. You provide self-assessment answers to questions in seven categories, including sleep quality, sleep disturbance, and daytime dysfunction. Experts assess answers to questions and determine next steps in improving your sleep quality.
Sleep tests may be needed if a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy is suspected. A common test is a polygraph, where the patient is observed overnight in a sleep laboratory. Other tests are sleep latency tests, which measure a patient's ability to fall asleep, sustained alertness tests to determine the severity of daytime sleepiness, and other symptoms. Other assessments of the liver, heart, and lungs.
However, because sleep quality is largely self-assessed, and these tests cannot unambiguously measure a patient's sleep quality. Instead, these tests will provide data and observations about sleep itself and can reveal any abnormalities in sleep behavior that may be contributing to overall sleep quality.

6. Signs that your sleep quality needs to be improved

Do you often feel tired and restless in the morning, even on nights you've gotten enough sleep? It's been an unpleasant experience, but there could be a simple explanation that you have poor quality sleep. Poor quality sleep can impair your concentration, worsen your mood, and has even been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Easily realize that you're not getting enough sleep. Figuring out why restless sleep is harder, but certainly achievable. If you think you are sleeping poorly, see if you have any of the following:
It takes you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep after going to bed. You often wake up more than once per night. You lie awake for more than 20 minutes when you wake up in the middle of the night. The time you sleep is less than 85% of the time you are in bed. You feel tired and have trouble concentrating during the day. You may have to drink more caffeine to stay awake. Your skin deteriorates and your eyes become puffy, red, or develop dark circles. You feel hungry more often, especially enjoy junk food and gain weight. You feel more stressed, emotionally drained, and angry than usual. You have been diagnosed with insomnia.

7. How to improve your sleep quality?

Improving the quality of your sleep can be as simple as your sleep hygiene. Just as oral hygiene includes regular brushing and flossing to maintain your teeth, sleep hygiene is about practicing good habits that help you get a good night's sleep.
Try these ways to improve your sleep:
Stop watching TV and using your phone or computer at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Electronic devices that emit blue light will be perceived by your brain as sunlight, tricking it into delaying sleep and keeping you awake longer than you would like. Turn your bedroom into a dark, quiet and cool oasis. Set your thermostat somewhere between low to medium and use blackout curtains or a white noise machine to further relax your senses. Go to bed and wake up at the same times every day. Following a consistent sleep schedule helps your brain know when to sleep and when to wake up. Make sure your sleep schedule allows enough time to fall asleep. Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Make it a habit to relax before bed. Choose activities that help you relax and calm down, like taking a warm bath, listening to an audiobook, or journaling. Doing these activities in the same order each night creates a pattern for your brain to recognize them as a prelude to sleep. Limit caffeine and alcohol intake. Both of these substances can stay in your system for a while and disrupt the quality of your sleep. Avoid alcohol within three hours of bedtime and caffeine within five hours. Get some sunlight in the morning. Just 15-30 minutes in the sun can help you wake up and reset your circadian rhythm. If you're still having trouble sleeping after taking these suggestions, talk to your doctor. They may recommend lifestyle changes, therapies, or medications that may improve the quality of your sleep.
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Reference source: sleepfoundation.org