Understanding optimal needs for rest and the leading causes of sleeplessness
If you’ve ever struggled to fall asleep for hours or woken up from what should have been a good night’s rest feeling like you could stay in bed for hours longer, you’re not alone. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States has declared insufficient sleep a “public health problem.” We know that rest is a fundamental, foundational human need, and yet so often, we don’t get adequate sleep at night or don’t take it quite as seriously as we should. According to a Casper-Gallup 2022 poll, 74% of consumers believe sleep is critical to overall health, but are dissatisfied with their sleep quality. Though sleep studies and research abound, scientific and medical communities still remain (literally) in the dark about what healthy sleep even means and the effects it can have on physical processes.1
So, what are the metrics for sleep hours? Hour guidelines exist for children, but what about for adults? Sleep architecture, or the quantity and quality of sleep based on the amount of time in each sleep stage, changes throughout our lifespans. According to the National Sleep Foundation, “There is no precise number of minutes or hours of sleep at night that guarantees you will wake up feeling totally refreshed.2 But based on your age and lifestyle, what’s recommended for you likely falls within a certain range.” So, is 6 hours of sleep enough? In short, not really. For adults between the ages of 18–26, between 7 and 9 hours is the recommended range, while for adults over the age of 65, 7 to 8 is recommended. As we age, we lose REM and deep sleep, thus needing to protect the quality of sleep. The ranges of ‘appropriate’ amounts of sleep differ, but 8 hours remains the ideal amount.
Though sleep duration is important, it’s not just how long you slept, but also how you slept. It’s not enough just to wonder if 6 hours of sleep is enough, if you’re not considering what those 6 hours were like. Sleep quantity refers to the amount of time someone spends asleep.
Sleep quality refers to how well you sleep, including factors like:
Both quality and quantity are influenced by a myriad of biological and lifestyle factors.
While everyone occasionally feels tired during the day, excessive daytime sleepiness is something to watch out for. According to a 2020 study published in BMJ, 4–20% percent of the population report that they experience excessive daytime sleepiness at least three days a week. This, of course, can have significant implications for quality of life, workplace performance, and even personal safety.3
When poor sleep becomes a consistent habit, negative consequences can arise, including:
Hormonal imbalance: Leading to weight gain, stress, and mood disorders.4
It’s clear that as a society, sleep deprivation is rife and can take a serious physical and mental toll. But why is it happening? Why aren’t we sleeping? Stress and anxiety. According to a 2022 Casper-Gallup Poll, 52–64% of adults aged 18–49 report poor sleep after a stressful day and 49% say sleep significantly impacts their mood.5 Poor sleep quality is also impacted by a number of other factors, like screen use pre-bedtime, lack of sleep hygiene, caffeine consumption, and even genetics.
Sleep hygiene is a buzzy phrase, but what does it mean? Sleep hygiene refers to a set of practices and routines that help you get better sleep, such as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and creating a comfortable nighttime environment (think: quiet, dark, and cool). Following a regular bedtime routine that induces sleep is another significant factor, as is establishing consistent sleep and wake-up times.
Your sleep schedule will, of course, be individualized to your preferences and habits, but consistency and calm are key factors.
Diet and sleep are two foundational human needs that are also inextricably linked. Research shows that people who do not consume enough servings of fruit, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains have shorter sleep duration than those who do.6
Studies have even linked particular foods with better sleep, including fatty fish, dairy, kiwi, tart cherries, and other berries.7 Food timing, also known as “chrononutrition” has an impact on sleep as well: late-night eating, heavy meals, and eating right before sleep are all associated with suboptimal rest quality.
So, just with any other health habit, you should make sleep a priority, never an afterthought. Consistency, routine, and understimulation are key to getting good rest. Follow a regular sleep schedule as much as possible and establish a routine that makes sense for you and stick to it. Avoid screens in the bedroom and keep the lights low around bedtime. Foundational rest is a building block of a healthy life, it’s time to prioritize it.