Do you wake up feeling tired even after getting enough hours of sleep? A frustrating experience for sure as we are all constantly reminded to get the recommended amount of 7-9 hours of sleep each night. So, why do you feel groggy in the morning? The answer might be poor sleep quality which unfortunately can negatively affect your focus and mood, and increase the risk of some diseases.

But, how do you know whether or not your sleep is restful and poor? Although this task is more challenging than determining the amount of sleep you get, it is definitely achievable. So, continue reading to find out everything you need to know.

Sleep Quality Basics

Sleep quality and sleep quantity are two different things as quantity measures the amount of sleep you get at night, whereas quality determines how well you sleep. As already noted, measuring sleep quantity is pretty easy, but sleep quality is more complex. In general, the following characteristics apply to good sleep quality:

• Falling asleep in less than half an hour after you go to bed
• Sleeping straight through the night
• You get the right amount of sleep every night
• If you wake up sometimes, you are able to fall asleep within 20 minutes
• You feel rested, energized, and restored in the morning

Poor Sleep Quality Signs

Some signs show your sleep quality needs to improve. Hence, if you suspect you’re not getting quality sleep, look for the following tell-tale signs:

• It takes you more than half an hour to fall asleep after getting in bed
• Frequent awakenings every night, i.e. more than once a night
• It takes over 20 minutes to fall back asleep after waking up in the middle of the night
• You spend more than 15% of your time in bed awake
• You experience daytime fatigue and have concentration issues
• Red and puffy eyes with dark circles or bags are common things for you
• Feeling excessively hungry, especially for junk food, which leads to weight gain
• Feeling angrier than typical, emotionally exhausted, and stressed out daily
• You already suffer from insomnia

Poor Sleep Quality Causes

In short, numerous things and factors can contribute to poor sleep quality, from poor sleep habits to chronic health conditions or sleep disorders. Let’s have a closer look at those!

• Poor Sleep Hygiene – not following a strict sleep schedule or consuming too much alcohol and caffeine may worsen your sleep quality.
• Stress and Anxiety – no matter whether it is increased stress or chronic depression or anxiety disorder, poor mental health significantly affects sleep.
• Chronic Health Conditions – some chronic health conditions like chronic lung disease, acid reflux, asthma, cancer, renal disease, and fibromyalgia are all linked to poor sleep.
• Sleep Apnea – people with sleep apnea experience breathing interruptions during sleep so the brain has to initiate breathing again which disrupts sleep quality.
• Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) – patients with PLMD experience involuntary jerking leg movements while asleep which again disrupts sleep quality.

Tips to Improve Sleep Quality

Luckily, sleep quality may be easy to improve and sometimes only requires sleep hygiene improvement. To ensure you practice good sleep habits that help you improve sleep quality, follow these simple tips:

• Limit screen time for at least one hour before bedtime.
• Ensure your bedroom is dark and quiet.
• Make sure the temperature is cool enough and not too hot.
• Follow a consistent sleep schedule, even at weekends.
• Practice a relaxing bedtime routine.
• Avoid drinking alcohol and caffeine for 5 hours before bedtime.

Finally, if the above-listed tips don’t help, make sure you consult your doctor and seek professional medical assistance to improve your sleep quality.