Neely Frederick, FNP, is a family nurse practitioner. She loves caring for people from all walks of life and helping them make healthier lifestyle choices.
Experts recommend getting at least seven hours of sleep daily to maintain good health. But just getting the right amount of sleep might not be enough.
When the shut-eye you get isn’t good quality, you may feel groggy, sluggish or cranky in the morning. But if you dismiss those feelings as the morning grumps or chalk it up to not being a morning person, you might jeopardize your health and wellness.
Take these steps to assess your sleep quality and set yourself up for successful slumber:
Sleep is vital for your body. It gives your body time to maintain physical health and rejuvenate the mind.
Sleep plays a vital role in your:
When your body doesn’t get needed sleep, the impact is immediate. But when sleep is consistently disrupted or poor sleep becomes a chronic condition, it can also affect your health and well-being over time in other ways.
Restorative sleep makes a big difference in how well you function mentally and physically the next day. It can also affect the next day’s health decisions — whether you exercise and what you eat — resulting in a domino effect that impacts your wellness.
During the day following a poor night of sleep, you may notice:
Repeatedly not getting enough restful sleep can have a cumulative effect. Over time, the accumulated sleep loss can take a toll on the body’s systems.
Sleep deprivation is linked to higher risks of:
The amount of sleep we need to feel our best varies from person to person. But poor sleep, no matter how much sleep you get, is simply sleep that isn’t restful. And when you don’t feel rested, you may notice the impact immediately — and throughout the entire next day.
You may not be getting quality sleep if:
There are many reasons and underlying conditions that could be causing restless sleep. Sometimes the cause is a simple lifestyle choice, such as drinking caffeine or eating too late. But that one night of insufficient sleep can start a vicious cycle if being tired the next day causes you to reach for more caffeine and sugar late in the day.
If you have good sleep hygiene and still aren’t sleeping well, you may have an underlying condition. Medical issues that affect sleep quality include:
The first step to sleeping soundly is consulting your primary care provider (PCP) to ensure there’s no underlying condition interfering with your sleep.
Once you’ve ruled out a medical condition or have health issues under control, focus on your sleep hygiene — the things you do to support healthy sleep. Make sure you:
Inova PCPs offer appointments in the office and virtually. To talk with your doctor about sleep and wellness, schedule an appointment through your MyChart patient portal, or call your doctor’s office directly.
If you think you may have a sleep disorder, take our sleep apnea risk assessment, learn more about the Inova Sleep Disorders Program, or call 571-472-4200 for an appointment.
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This was a good summary of sleep quality and the effects of poor sleep. It also offered one good ideas on improving sleep quality. It is also presented in a non judgmental and easy to understand way.
The medical profession fails to address issues of aging, that seem to affect virtually all seniors. Especially pronounced (and not properly addressed) are changes in the body clock that result in waking well before dawn, regardless of bedtime. Research is sorely needed in this area.
Any advice for night shift workers? Besides quitting?