What is healthy sleep?

What is healthy sleep?

Healthy sleep is about getting the right quantity and quality of sleep:

• Quantity refers to the number of hours you are sleeping per night
• Quality refers to how well you sleep (i.e. healthy sleep patterns)

Healthy sleep can also be measured by ‘Sleep Efficiency’.¹ Sleep efficiency is the ratio of the total time spent asleep (total sleep time) in a night compared to the total amount of time spent in bed.¹

For example, if you went to bed at 10pm and got up for work at 6am, yet you only slept between midnight and 6am, then your sleep efficiency is 75% (6 hours divided by 8).¹  If you spend the majority of your time in bed actually asleep, rather than tossing and turning, then this is a sign you are sleep efficient or having healthy sleep.¹

How much sleep is healthy?

We all have different needs when it comes to the quantity of sleep that is healthy.  Below are recommendations made by The National Sleep Foundation on how much sleep is healthy for your age:²

• Newborns: (0-3 months): 14-17 hours
• Infant (4-11 months): 12-15 hours
• Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours
• Pre-schoolers (3-5): 10-13 hours
• School age children: (6-13): 9-11 hours
• Teenagers (14-17): 8-10 hours
• Younger adults (18-25): 7-9 hours
• Adults (26-64): 7-9 hours
• Older adults (65+): 7-8 hours

Bear in mind that each person’s sleep needs are very individual and the above is only a guide.² It is not healthy to be hyper-vigilant about the number of hours sleep you are getting per night.  You can quickly find yourself clock-watching and stressing over not getting 8 hours per night, which can lead to sleep anxiety and even less sleep!

How do I know if I am getting a healthy sleep?

Below there are 5 questions about your sleep.  Look at the responses to find out if you are getting a healthy night’s sleep:

Healthy sleep patterns

Your sleep health is not just about the number of hours you sleep per night, it is that you are getting good quality sleep which happens when you are able to cycle through normal healthy sleeping patterns.  Sometimes these patterns can be disrupted by a stressed mind, a full bladder, a crying child, or snoring partner.  What wakes you in the middle of the night?

A normal sleeping pattern, also called ‘sleep cycle’, repeats every 90 to 110 minutes and is made up of a sequence of different stages of sleep (sleep states). If the pattern is interrupted, it must start from the beginning and important stages could be missed resulting in poor quality sleep.

Here is a summary of a healthy sleep pattern:

Stage 1 – you move from wakefulness to sleep

Stage 2 – you are in a light sleep state and easily wakened

Stage 3 – you are in a deep sleep which is an important restorative stage needed to feel refreshed in the morning

Stage 4 – you are in REM sleep which is important for memory and learning.

Have you ever experienced a full night’s sleep, yet you still wake up feeling exhausted?  This is likely to be because your sleeping patterns have been disrupted and you may not have had enough deep restorative sleep to help you feel more energised.

Why is healthy sleep important?

Sleep is fundamental to good physical and mental health.  When you are not getting good, healthy sleep every night then it can have negative consequences on your overall health.

Here are 12 reasons why healthy sleep is important:

1. Lower your risk of stroke – chronic poor sleeping has been associated with a higher risk of stroke⁶
2. Boost your immune system – sleep has an important role in regulating our immune system. When you don’t get health sleep it can impair your immune system and leave you vulnerable to infections.⁷
3. Improve concentration and productivity – sleep is important for a healthy, functioning mind. When you don’t get enough sleep, your cognitive (thinking) abilities are impaired.⁸
4. Lower your risk of heart disease – deep sleep is particularly important for heart health, so when you don’t get enough sleep it can increase your risk of heart disease.⁹
5. Prevent type 2 diabetes – sleep affects your glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, and a lack of sleep has been shown to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes¹⁰
6. Reduce your risk of obesity – sleep deprived people have a higher risk of gaining weight¹⁰
7. Increase fertility – difficulty conceiving has been linked to poor sleep health¹⁰
8. Increased sex drive – men and women who don’t get enough healthy sleep have lower libidos and less of an interest in sex¹⁰
9. Protect your mental health – poor sleep health (sleep deprivation) has been associated with an increase risk of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.^8,11
10. Improved healing – sleep has been shown to be more important to the body than nutrition when it comes to wound healing¹²
11. Protect and build your muscles – even one night of sleep deprivation can influence our body’s ability to synthesise muscle
12. Reduce your risk of some cancers – a lack of sleep has been linked to an increased risk in several types of cancer

Habits for a healthier sleep

If you think you are not getting healthy sleep, it may be time to change some unhealthy habits for some new healthier habits. Here are 10 tips that can help you on your way to a healthier sleep:

1. No caffeinated drinks within 6 hours of bedtime¹⁶
2. No food within 3 hours of bedtime, unless you want heartburn to potentially wake you in the night¹⁵
3. Reduce your liquid consumption before bed unless you want your sleep cycles disrupted by a full bladder
4. Quit smoking – nicotine has been found to be worse than caffeine when it comes to a healthy sleep¹⁷
5. Ban devices from the bedroom (phones, tablets, laptops, and TV’s) – your bedroom should only be used for sex and sleeping
6. Try to wean yourself of social media close to bedtime as all the information can leave your mind racing which can impact how long it takes you to fall asleep
7. No alcohol – some people might find alcohol gets them to sleep easier but unfortunately is affects the quality of your sleep¹⁸
8. Create a healthy bedtime routine – routine helps program your mind for sleep
9. Make sure your bedroom is a sleep friendly environment, which is dark, cool, quiet and comfortable
10. Exercise earlier in the day – if you exercise too close to bedtime it can disrupt your sleep¹⁹