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Sleep Well? Optimise Your Sleep Hygiene
Health

Sleep Well? Optimise Your Sleep Hygiene

Yvonne Zuurbier

Why can one person start the day feeling refreshed after just 5 hours of sleep, while another needs a cup of coffee to get going even after 8 hours? Time for answers!

We spend about one-third of our lives sleeping, making sleep as crucial as nutrition for feeling vital. In our previous blog about sleep, we discussed our biological clock, which is synchronised with the Earth's rotation and the light-dark cycle; our wake-sleep cycle. This biological clock varies per person and age, think of morning and evening people, children and the elderly. To follow the biological clock as closely as possible, a regular sleep pattern is important. When we consider sleep quality, it can vary greatly from person to person. What's the reason for this?

According to the American sleep institute, the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), sleep continuity (falling and staying asleep) and sleep efficiency (time spent sleeping while in bed) determine your sleep quality. The definition of a good night's sleep is:

  • Falling asleep within 30 minutes
  • Spending over 85% of your time in bed asleep
  • Waking up no more than once a night and falling back asleep within 20 minutes
  • And last but not least, waking up feeling energised

Get Out of Bed on the Right Foot: How Your Sleep Cycle Works

Our night's rest, also known as the sleep cycle, consists of four different stages, which are repeated several times in chronological order during healthy sleep. Each night, we go through an average of 4 to 6 of these sleep cycles, each lasting 90 to 120 minutes. As sleep progresses, these cycles become shorter.
A sleep cycle consists of the following stages:

  • Stage 1, the drowsy phase: your heart rate slows, your breathing becomes slower, and your body begins to relax. This stage normally lasts 1 to 5 minutes.
  • Stage 2, light sleep: your body relaxes, sleep twitches may occur causing your muscles to contract, your temperature drops, eye movements stop, and you can still be easily awakened by sounds. This stage lasts 25 to 45 minutes, and research shows that we spend 50% of our total sleep in this stage.
  • Stage 3, deep sleep: deep sleep lasts around 20 minutes. The body is fully relaxed and difficult to awaken. Your blood pressure drops, and your breathing slows. This stage is important for the body's recovery and ensures we wake up full of new energy. During this phase, daily memories and new knowledge are processed.
  • Stage 4 is REM sleep: also known as dream sleep. The main difference from other sleep stages is the rapid eye movements, known as Rapid Eye Movement. REM sleep is important for our memory and emotional recovery. During REM sleep, you experience most dreams, and brain activity increases to a level comparable to when you are awake. Are you starting to drift off?

You Snooze, You Lose? How Much Sleep You Need

The first 4.5 hours of sleep are called core sleep. Most deep sleep and a significant portion of REM sleep occur during this period. Core sleep is extremely important for physical and emotional recovery and to function during the day. Want to do more than just function and get the most out of your day? Then calculate according to the sleep cycle and aim for about 7 hours of sleep. So, go to bed on time!

5 Tips to Improve Your Sleep Hygiene

Many factors can negatively affect sleep, such as illness or stress, but also hormonal fluctuations, teeth grinding, or nightmares. Sleep is often the first thing to be disrupted, but it can be quite challenging to get back on track. A regular bedtime routine can help prepare the body for a good night's sleep.
How can you maintain or improve your sleep routine? Here are our tips:

  1. Try to actively support your biological clock by getting up at the same time every morning, even on weekends.
  2. In the morning, go outside to take in the first daylight. Avoid wearing sunglasses and let the light shine into your eyes, so the daytime hormone cortisol can be properly activated. Hello world!
  3. Avoid large meals a few hours before bed so your digestion can settle and no longer demands energy from you.
  4. If you often work night shifts or frequently deal with different time zones, melatonin can be a useful supplement to support the biological clock. Seek advice from a professional as the dosage and timing require customisation.
  5. Do you have sleep problems due to stress or chronic pain complaints? Then a FIR (Far Infrared) sauna blanket might be worth considering. It can bring warmth deep into your cells at a low temperature, relaxing muscles and reducing pain complaints. At the same time, your body eliminates waste products. This mini spa experience provides the relaxation needed for a good night's sleep.

In this blog we offer more tips for good sleep hygiene.

When Nothing Works: Sleep Restriction

Sleep restriction, it sounds contradictory because you want to sleep longer, but according to sleep scientist Merijn van de Laar, you must first improve sleep quality before you can extend it. Research shows that 75% of people who have applied sleep restriction fall asleep much faster and lie awake less. The method works well across all age categories, especially children aged 6 to 14 and the elderly responded very positively.

In sleep restriction, you build up sleep pressure over 3 weeks. Here's how it works:

  • Step 1: daily note the time you go to bed and wake up, and how many hours you think you actually slept. This can be easily tracked with wearables like a smartwatch or OURA ring.
  • Step 2: calculate the average, for example, 5.5 hours, and add half an hour. Use this time as bed rest, going to bed at the same time and setting your alarm 6 hours later, regardless of whether you are asleep or not.
  • Step 3: when the alarm goes off, get out of bed and do something that contributes to your relaxation.
  • Step 4: notice that you are sleeping better? Then you can extend the time by 15 minutes each week until you reach your ideal sleep time.

With two weeks of perseverance, you will be set to your new sleep rhythm. If it's not better after 3 weeks, contact your doctor. You can follow the sleep restriction method under the guidance of your doctor or read more about it on Thuisarts.nl.

Sweet dreams!