What’s better? Quality or quantity of sleep?

When you’ve had a good night’s sleep you always know. But what’s better — quality of sleep or quantity of sleep?

 

Quality and quantity of sleep

 

It’s well known that sleep is an important part of health and overall wellbeing. While researchers don’t know everything there is to know about sleep, they do know that sleep deprivation can lead to a suppressed immunity, putting people at risk of getting sick. Poor sleep is also linked to weight gain, poor mental health and impaired concentration and memory.

But what’s more important? Quality of sleep or quantity of sleep?

Quantity of sleep and quality of sleep

Experts recommend that adults need anywhere between 7 ½ and 9 hours of sleep most nights. However, the truth is that most people don’t get this amount of sleep on a regular basis. Even if you do get a regular 8 or 9 hours a night, if you’re tossing and turning, or being woken up in the night, your sleep won’t be as good as getting 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

You see, quality of sleep is just as important as how long you lay in bed. Key indicators of good sleep include:

  • Falling asleep in less than 30 minutes
  • Sleeping for at least 85% of the time spent in bed
  • Being awake for 20 minutes or less, after initially falling asleep
  • Not waking more than once during the night.

How to improve sleep quality

Sleep is impacted by many factors, and the factors that influence your sleep may be very individual. However, the following tips will help you improve the quality of your sleep:

The ideal sleep

While quality of sleep is more important than the quantity of your sleep, ideal sleep combines both quality and quantity.

Just as you find it difficult to function when you don’t get enough time in bed, poor quality sleep can also leave you feeling tired, fatigued and distracted the next day. Better sleep will also improve your mood and productivity levels. And good sleep, often leads to more good sleep.

Imagine how good you’d feel if you woke up from 8 hours of high-quality sleep!

As well as the tips listed above, you can try the following to ensure you get increased quantity of sleep.

  • Stick to a regular sleep schedule (i.e. going to bed and waking up at the same time)
  • Avoid staying up late to watch TV
  • Avoid getting up earlier than necessary.
  • Head to bed an hour earlier than you need to. For example, if you want to get 7 hours sleep, start heading to bed 8 hours before you have to wake up. This allows you time to brush your teeth, go to the bathroom and relax into bed. This will give you the best chance at achieving 7 hrs of sleep.

How to measure your sleep?

While there are a number of sleep apps on the market that can measure certain aspects of your sleep, the best gauge is how you feel when you wake up. If you feel well-rested, energetic and ready to face the day, chances are you’ve had quality and quantity sleep. If you don’t, then your sleep hasn’t been ideal.

To help you get the ideal sleep, why not come into BedGuard and browse our range of high-quality waterproof mattresses for everyone in the family. Your sleep will thank you for it.

Leave a Comment