Experts emphasize that the approach to restful sleep should not only focus on the quantity of hours of sleep, but also on its quality. A high percentage of adults, about 33%, report problems with sleep quality, which can cause drowsiness even after sleeping seven to eight hours.
“A lot of people say, ‘I get enough sleep, seven to eight hours, but I still wake up groggy and not feeling rested,’” he told Fox Data Digital Dr. Wendy Troxel, clinical psychologist and senior behavioral researcher at Utah-based RAND during an interview.
“Approximately one in three adults has poor quality sleep,” he stated. “There are many factors that can contribute to poor sleep quality, regardless of how many hours you sleep,” Troxel added.
Factors that affect sleep quality
Substance use. The consumption of alcohol and caffeine, particularly in the late hours, can significantly deteriorate the quality of rest.
Stress and technology. Stress and using mobile devices before bed are equally guilty of disrupting restful sleep, creating fragmented sleep patterns.
Gender differences in sleep
Dr. Troxel also addresses the perception that women need more sleep, stating that while the difference is minimal, women are more likely to suffer from insomnia and sleep disorders, especially around menopause.
They note that research supports this thesis, although they only slightly need an extra 10 to 15 minutes per night.
“What we do know for sure is that women’s sleep quality tends to be more affected than men’s. They may have less restful sleep, so they need a little more sleep,” she said.
Tips to improve sleep quality
For those who sleep less than recommended, it is suggested to gradually increase sleep time, starting with small increments of 15 minutes.
Maintaining healthy habits, such as a proper diet and traditional exercise, is also the biggest for improving sleep quality.
This approach also involves respecting one’s own biological rhythm, avoiding “sleep shame,” and adapting exercise routines to individual preferences.
Influence of daily routine on falling asleep
The daily routine has a very direct influence on the ease of falling asleep because it helps conventional your biological clock (circadian rhythm) and creates clear signals of “it’s time to sleep” for the brain. When your habits are predictable, the body better anticipates when it should lower alertness and increase melatonin production, which shortens the time to sleep.
Regular schedules and biological clock
Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends, strengthens the sleep-wake cycle and lowers sleep latency (the time it takes to fall asleep). They also reduce nighttime awakenings and improve the feeling of rest the next day.
Rhythm of meals and activities
Maintaining fixed times for eating, working and other daily activities favors better quality of sleep and faster reconciliation, although the “exact time” (for example, having dinner at 7 or 8) is not as relevant as consistency. On the other hand, very changing schedules (skipping meals, working after hours) can confuse the body and make it difficult to fall asleep.
Daytime habits that help you balance
Exercising regularly (not too close to bedtime) and exposing yourself to natural light in the morning reinforce the circadian rhythm and help the body “know” at night that it is time to relax. Limiting long or late naps, avoiding excessive screens, and moderating caffeine and alcohol during the day also reduce nervous system activation at night.
Pre-sleep routine
A calm nighttime routine (warm shower, reading, breathing, dark and quiet environment) acts as a “cue ritual” that reduces anxiety and facilitates the transition from waking to sleeping. The more repeatable and relaxed this routine is, the more predictable it is that the body will enter the sleep phase in a short time.
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