Do You Get Good Sleep Every Night? Find Out Here

You may be sleeping for eight hours every day but that's not good enough. There's more to it. The quality of sleep you get is as important as the amount of sleep hours every day. A lot of the decisions you make in a day depend on how well-rested you were the previous night. Disturbed sleep can leave you feeling fatigued and less attentive through the day. Some studies have shown that people who do not sleep well also end up making bad food choices turning more towards fatty foods to help remain alert. So, how do you know if you've been sleeping well? According to the National Sleep Foundation, people who fall asleep within 30 minutes or less and wake up no more than once at night qualify for several health benefits associated with good sleep. Further, sleeping for more time while in bed (at least 85 per cent of the total time) and being awake for 20 minutes or less after initially falling asleep are other key determinants of good quality sleep. These new findings are based on research done by using at-home sleep technology device. These electronic gadgets are worn throughout sleep or placed on the bed stand and help in analysing the amount of deep and light sleep people get each night, how frequently one wakes up and the length of tossing and turning on the bed.
"Millions of Americans are sleep technology users. These devices provide a glimpse into one's sleep universe, which is otherwise unknown and provide consumers with the resources needed to understand their sleep," said Max Hirshkowitz, Chairman at NSF. As the National Sleep Foundation's recent Sleep Health Index, about 27 percent people take more than 30 minutes to fall asleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to several serious health problems like high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease and even depression. It is also important to identify the causes that are leading to disturbed sleep. One of them could you the meal you eat before bedtime. Certain foods like chocolates, green tea, sugary and spicy foods can affect your sleep and should be avoided at night. While, on the other hand, there are some foods that promote good sleep like warm milk, flaxseeds, almonds and honey Therefore, it is recommended to add these to your evening meals. The report was published in the Journal Sleep Health and brings to light the problems of sleep deprivation. It also points out the areas that require more research in order to identify key factors of good quality sleep across all age groups. With inputs from IANS