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A good night’s sleep should leave you feeling refreshed, alert, and ready to begin the day. If you happen to wake from a deep sleep, you may need a few minutes to wake up properly. But overall, people with healthy sleep patterns find it easy to fall asleep and experience minimal nighttime awakenings.
Quality sleep is not just about the hours you spend in bed. Fragmented sleep can also disrupt the natural rhythm of the sleep stages, leading to a less productive rest. You may get exactly eight hours of sleep every night and still feel groggy as a result of light or restless sleep.
If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, you might not be getting the rest you need:
In the short term, poor sleep leads to problems with memory, concentration, mood, and daytime sleepiness. Those who are short on sleep may be at a higher risk of car accidents or work injuries.
In the long term, poor sleep has also been linked to a higher chance of developing diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Shift workers with irregular sleeping patterns have a higher chance of developing breast cancer, stroke, and other medical conditions. Poor sleep may also exacerbate mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
Sleep needs change as we age, and individual sleep needs can vary depending on a number of additional factors. Sleep is regulated by our circadian rhythm, an internal “body clock” that tells us when to feel sleepy and when to feel alert. If we go too long without sleeping, a function called sleep-wake homeostasis kicks in and makes us feel tired.
Still-developing babies and young children require the most sleep, with most children sleeping 9-10 hours and babies sleeping as many as 18 hours a night. Teens require eight to 10 hours of sleep per night, and adults should be sleeping between seven and nine hours a night.
Older adults also need between seven and eight hours of sleep per night. However, seniors often suffer from light sleep, an earlier circadian rhythm, multiple nighttime awakenings, and a shorter overall sleep time. These problems may be exacerbated by medication or medical conditions.
Some people may have a circadian rhythm that is at odds with societal requirements. For example, teenagers are programmed to wake up and go to sleep later, which is contradictory with early school start times. Likewise, shift workers with constantly changing schedules may find it difficult to keep a consistent bedtime, and their sleep may suffer as a result.
Even among healthy adults, some people are programmed to wake up earlier and some people prefer to wake up later. It’s increasingly recognized that jobs that require early wake times may cause chronic insomnia and secondary health conditions for night owls. Emerging research also suggests that women have a shorter circadian rhythm and require more sleep than men.
Pregnancy, menopause, or medical conditions can all interfere with sleep, as can sleep disorders such as restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, REM sleep behavior disorder, narcolepsy, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). If you think a secondary health condition could be causing sleep issues, reach out to your healthcare provider to help manage your symptoms.
GIVE THE GIFT OF SLEEP: HEALY WATCH
