What is Quality Sleep? 🦋
Quality Sleep is different as compared to Quantity Sleep. Quality depends on how well you sleep while Quantity refers to how much sleep you get.
Quality Sleep is defined by a few characteristics such as:
- Falling asleep soon after getting into bed, within 30 minutes or less.
- Sleeping straight throughout the night, waking up no more than once per night.
- Sleeping the recommended amount of hours for your age group.
- Falling back asleep within 20 minutes if you do wake up.
- You feel rested, restored, and energized upon waking up in the morning
Quantity Sleep is impacted by your quality of sleep. Ten hours of poor-quality sleep won’t be as healthy as seven hours of decent, restorative sleep.
Sleeping for a longer period does not mean that you get Quality Sleep. It is important to have Quality Sleep as it helps the body remain healthy. Without the sufficient Quality Sleep, the brain cannot function properly. This can affect your abilities to concentrate, think clearly, and process memories.
Some ways you can improve on Sleep Quality:
- Stop using electronic devices for at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Electronic devices emit bright blue light that your brain perceives as sunlight, tricking it into delaying sleep and keeping you awake longer than you’d like.
- Transform your bedroom into a dark, quiet, and cool oasis.
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Following a consistent sleep schedule trains your brain to recognize when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to wake.
- Ensure that your sleep schedule allows for enough time to sleep. Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
- Create a relaxing bedtime routine. Do some activities that relax and calm you, like taking a warm bath, listening to an audiobook, or journaling in the same order every night, creating a pattern for your brain to recognize them as the prelude to sleep.
- Create a peaceful and comfortable environment. Apply or diffuse Essential Oils that can help you feel calm and relax at night.
- Limit your caffeine and alcohol intake. Both of these substances can stay in your system for some time and disrupt your sleep quality. Avoid drinking alcohol within three hours of bedtime, and caffeine within five hours.
So, which sleep are you having now? Quality or Quantity Sleep? 🤔