Sleep is known as a recovery process during which the body rests and prepares for a new day. After quality sleep, one can start the day feeling more refreshed and energetic. Information learned during the day is stored in long-term memory during sleep. However, there are times in daily life when sleep quality declines. Sleep quality drops especially during stressful periods and difficulty falling asleep can occur. Poor quality sleep can also create the foundation for various health problems. Memorial Bahçelievler Hospital Sleep Center Chest Diseases Specialist Prof. Dr. Sinem İliaz provided information about poor quality sleep.

Poor sleep quality exhausts the body

Poor quality sleep can be defined as sleep that is insufficient in duration, of poor quality, or not restorative. There are certain points to pay attention to in order not to reduce sleep quality. One should not go to bed too late and should not consume alcohol, tea or coffee close to bedtime. Since tea and coffee are stimulants, they delay sleep, while alcohol disrupts sleep structure and prevents it from being restorative. Inability to initiate sleep despite spending sufficient time in bed or waking frequently during the night makes sleep poor quality. Even if the person does not realize they have awakened, they may not have deepened their sleep and due to frequent awakenings may not have gotten sufficiently restorative sleep. Repeated breathing pauses or shallowing of breathing during sleep also prevents sleep from deepening and being restorative.

Sleep duration varies for each individual

Sleep makes a significant contribution to children's development. In the newborn period, babies grow through sleep. After each sleep cycle, the baby regains energy and becomes tired and sleeps again. Sleep need decreases with age. An adult may need an average of 7-8 hours of sleep. This duration can vary from person to person. While there are people who need 10 hours of sleep per day to maintain daily functioning, there are also individuals who feel very comfortable with 5-6 hours of sleep.

Risk of accidents and illness increases

If one does not sleep sufficiently and with quality, the immune system weakens and the body becomes susceptible to infections. For this reason, frequent illnesses can occur. If sleep apnea syndrome, a disease characterized by breathing pauses during sleep, is present and left undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to traffic and work accidents due to excessive daytime sleepiness, difficulty controlling high blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmias. For this reason, sleep disorders should be treated without delay. In this regard, sleep tests are performed at sleep centers where expert teams specializing in sleep disorders work, and necessary treatment planning is done individually for each person.

Pay attention to these points to improve sleep quality

1. In order to get the 7-8 hours of sleep needed for adults, one should go to bed at a reasonable time. 2. The bedroom should be ventilated during the day, bed sheets should be changed frequently and sleep should be in comfortable, not overly tight clothing. 3. The room being quiet and dark facilitates falling asleep and melatonin secretion. If a person needs a light source, lighting should be arranged so it does not reflect directly on the face. 4. Taking too much liquid close to bedtime, consuming alcohol, tea or coffee is not recommended as it will impair sleep quality. 5. Spending long periods with smartphones, tablets and TVs, which are sources of blue light, before going to bed is also not recommended as it will have a stimulating effect. 6. If there are complaints such as snoring, witnessed apnea, excessive daytime sleepiness or waking up unrefreshed in the morning, consulting a sleep apnea clinic for evaluation regarding sleep apnea syndrome would be beneficial for diagnosis and starting treatment.