Poor sleep quality is a common issue that affects millions of people. It can have serious impacts on your health, wellbeing, and day-to-day functioning. But what exactly constitutes poor sleep quality? There are a few key signs:
- Difficulty falling asleep. If it takes you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep most nights, you may have an issue with sleep onset. This can be caused by factors like stress, underlying health conditions, or poor sleep habits.
- Frequent waking during the night. Waking up several times during the night and having trouble falling back asleep is known as sleep fragmentation. If this happens often, it prevents you from getting uninterrupted, restorative sleep.
- Early morning awakenings. Waking up earlier than desired and being unable to fall back asleep is a sign of poor sleep quality. If this happens consistently, you may not be getting adequate sleep time.
- Feeling unrefreshed upon waking. Even after a full night's sleep, if you still feel groggy, fatigued and low on energy, your sleep was likely disrupted or incomplete.
Poor sleep quality has been linked to:
- Impaired cognitive function and concentration - Increased risk of accidents and injuries - Weakened immune system - Higher risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, obesity, depression - Hormone imbalances that can impact growth, appetite, reproduction - Premature aging and skin issues
So what causes poor sleep quality in the first place? Here are some of the main culprits:
- Sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome - Medications and drugs that interfere with sleep - Poor sleep habits like inconsistent bedtimes, exposure to blue light before bed - Medical conditions like chronic pain, asthma, Parkinson's, acid reflux - Mental health issues such as anxiety, PTSD, depression
The good news is there are many effective ways to improve your sleep quality:
- Follow a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends - Limit screen time for 1-2 hours before bedtime - Create an ideal sleep environment - cool, dark and quiet - Avoid stimulants like caffeine, nicotine close to bedtime - Relaxation techniques before bed like yoga, meditation, reading - Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) helps change unhelpful sleep thoughts and behaviors
If you continue having unrefreshing sleep for weeks, be sure to discuss your concerns with a doctor. They can check for underlying issues and refer you to a sleep specialist for further evaluation and treatment if needed. A custom treatment plan can help identify and resolve the root causes behind your poor sleep.
Hormone Harmony provides comprehensive sleep health services to help patients achieve restorative, uninterrupted sleep on a regular basis. Their team of hormone specialists, sleep doctors and registered dietitians take a personalized approach to improve sleep quality by addressing hormonal imbalances, chronic health issues, sleep hygiene and nutrition.