More often than not when we think about good sleep, we associate it with being able to sleep more and for longer hours. However, this isn't the case and there are other factors at play when trying to get some good quality sleep. If you’re struggling to have a good night’s sleep or just curious to learn what defines quality sleep, please read on, because this article is for you!
What defines a good quality sleep, anyway?
Is it the number of hours we sleep? Let's take a look: Jane sleeps 6-8 hours and wakes up fresh, while Jonas also sleeps 6-8 hours but wakes up with dark eye circles and a complete lack of energy. There’s also Simon, who takes just 4-5 hours of sleep on a normal workday and yet, he can function completely well. Also, there’s Lily, who sleeps for 10-12 hours and still wakes up feeling awful.
So... No, the hours of sleep itself probably does a bad job at defining good quality sleep. Sleep Quantity does not equate to Sleep Quality.
Good sleep quality depends on 4 aspects which are: Sleep Latency (how long does it takes for you to fall asleep), Sleep Waking (how often do you wake up during the night), Wakefulness (how long does it take for you to sleep after waking up in the middle the night), and Sleep Efficiency (the amount of time you spend sleeping while in bed).
How would you know if you're struggling from poor-quality sleep? Here are a few examples:
It takes you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep.
You wake up more than once during the night.
It takes you longer than 20 minutes to drift back to sleep.
You spend more than half an hour not sleeping whilst in bed.
If you are experiencing 2 or more of the above on a daily basis, consider practicing some of these good sleep hygiene tips:
Go Screen-free Blue light from electronic devices affects our natural timekeeping, as our brains are tricked into thinking that it is still daytime. It leads to the reduction of hormones like Melatonin, which helps you relax during the night and get deep sleep.
Monitor your Caffeine Intake A single dose of caffeine can enhance focus and energy. BUT when we consumed it later in the day, it will stimulate our nervous system and may prevent our body from naturally relaxing at night. Caffeine can stay elevated in our blood stream for 6-8 hours. So, be sure to monitor and try cutting down on your coffee and tea consumption!
Invest in your Sleep Environment. This includes factors such as temperature, noise, external lights and etc. In order to have a good sleep environment, try to minimise external noises and lights, as well as try to adjust the temperature of space. This is a personal preference but it shouldn't be hot and can’t be too cold as well, somewhere between 16-22°C is ideal.
Practice Self-Hypnosis. Bringing yourself into trance. Hypnosis is a deep and relaxing state, which can help calm yourself down and prepare you for a good night's sleep!
If you are consistently experiencing poor sleep, do schedule an appointment or a 30-minute consultation with one of our highly experienced therapists to explore how Hypnotherapy can help you with your sleeping issues!
Additionally, talk to your local health care provider to ensure that you don't have an underlying health condition contributing to your poor sleep.
Contact us at YU Therapy today! Whatsapp/Mobile: +6011-15290227