Sleep plays a fundamentally important role in our lives, with physical and mental health being built upon the quality and regularity of our resting periods. Despite this importance, however, sleep is often overlooked when it comes to the process of building a healthy lifestyle, with food and exercise being placed at the centre of the discussion. To bring greater awareness to the importance of our sleep quality, also referred to as sleep hygiene, this year’s World Sleep Day, taking place on March 17th, will be focussed on how Sleep Is Essential For Health.  

What Is Good Quality Sleep

While there is a generous leeway in what constitutes the ideal duration of sleep, as well as an element of subjectivity, it is generally recommended that individuals sleep for between seven and ten hours per twenty-four-hour cycle. The important outcome of sleep should be feeling entirely rested and with enough energy for the day ahead. If this isn’t how you feel when you wake up, there is likely to be an issue with your sleeping process.

A healthy sleep cycle is, in addition to containing suitable duration, also a regular one. This means that individuals should be able to rely upon the routine of their sleep, stabilising their body’s internal clock and, where possible, sleeping during the same period of time each day.

Another important factor of good sleep is one free from interruption, whereby individuals are able to sleep throughout their chosen period without being disturbed.

Why It Is Important To Achieve A Good Night’s Rest

Without consistent and high-quality sleep, physical and mental health suffers. Research has demonstrated that those who fail to sleep well struggle with their attention spans and memory, as well as increasing the likelihood of taking risks and limiting their learning ability. 

On the other hand, those who sleep well report feeling happier, less stressed, and experiencing fewer health problems. Others also report better sleepers as more alert, youthful, and attractive.

The quality of an individual’s sleep also impacts hormone production within the body, having a significant effect on those that regulate appetite. As a result, it can be increasingly difficult for people to regulate their weight levels without the foundation of positive sleep hygiene.

How Sleep Quality Is Compromised

There are a number of ways in which the quality of sleep can be negatively affected. Some of these can be related to our physical health, with pain being a major culprit, and those who are affected by physical discomforts are likely to experience poor-quality sleep. Sleeping, in particular, can trigger these issues due to the different pressures our bodies feel when lying down, many of which are exaggerated by the comfort or discomfort of a mattress.

Individual mental health can also have a dramatic effect on sleep hygiene, with stress being one of the most common reasons for a poor night’s sleep and over 40% of people reporting lost sleep over stress-related reasons. Unfortunately, sleep deprivation also leads to an increase in stress, triggering the body’s production of cortisol, forging a cycle of ill-health.

Other potential effects include noise and light pollution, with these disturbances typically interrupting sleep cycles and preventing a full night of sleep. What’s more, in an era of ubiquitous electronics, many of us are surrounded by long periods of stimulation, such as the light emitted from our mobile devices, until late into the evening. This is problematic because our bodies regulate their circadian rhythm through light and that which is emitted from our devices can negatively affect a body’s internal clock and, therefore, an individual’s quality of sleep.

Mental health is another significant disruptor of sleep quality and many who experience anxiety tend to also struggle to fall asleep or experience nighttime anxiety. Other mental health issues, such as PTSD, addiction, and depression can significantly impair sleep quality.

Action For A Better Sleep

There are a great many ways to improve one’s quality of sleep and the work of the World Sleep Society and their initiative, World Sleep Day, shares a great number of resources to help people improve the way in which they sleep. 

If you would like to discuss your mental health in relation to your quality of sleep, you can reach out to our team for help by emailing hello@bristolcounsellingandpsychotherapy.co.uk or by calling 07751 271709.