Unraveling the mystery of a good night's sleep
What's the story
The idea of a good night's sleep is often subjective, as scientists at an Australian sleep clinic have found.
Most patients who come in for treatment think that healthy sleep means falling into a deep, restorative slumber the moment their head hits the pillow and waking up after around eight hours feeling refreshed.
This isn't just the case with these patients but with many Australians.
Sleep cycles
The reality of healthy sleep patterns
Contrary to popular belief, healthy sleep isn't a continuous, uninterrupted process.
It is cyclic in nature, with individuals moving through different stages of sleep throughout the night.
These cycles often include several brief awakenings, some of which may be remembered by the sleeper while others go unnoticed.
This pattern forms the basis of what scientists consider a healthy night's sleep.
Sleep stages
Understanding the roller-coaster of sleep cycles
An adult's sleep pattern usually includes different cycles and short awakenings during the night, each cycle lasting about 90 minutes.
The night usually starts with lighter sleep stages, moves into deeper ones, and ends with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, often associated with vivid dreaming.
The first half of the night is characterized by deep sleep while REM sleep becomes more common during the second half.
Awakening patterns
The frequency of nightly awakenings in healthy sleep
In a typical night, adults experience five or six sleep cycles, each ending with a brief awakening.
This means that waking up five times during the night is entirely normal and can even increase with age without affecting the overall health of the sleep pattern.
These awakenings can be so brief that they may not even be remembered by the individual upon waking.
Sleep quality
Defining the quality of a 'good' sleep
While we often say adults need seven to nine hours of sleep every night, quality of sleep is just as important.
Good sleep usually means falling asleep within around 30 minutes of getting into bed, sleeping without long stretches of wakefulness, and waking up feeling rested and ready for the day.
Excessive daytime sleepiness, despite getting at least seven hours of refreshing sleep regularly, could indicate underlying issues.
Sleep disorders
Recognizing common sleep disorders in adults
Sleep disorders are common among adults.
Up to 25% of adults suffer from insomnia, a condition that makes it difficult to fall or stay asleep, or causes early morning awakenings.
The prevalence of common sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea - partial or complete cessation of breathing during sleep - increases with age.
These affect 20% of young adults and 40% of middle-aged people.
Effective treatments are available, so seek help when needed.
Sleep disruptions
Identifying external factors disrupting sleep
Sleep isn't just disrupted by sleep disorders. Chronic health conditions (like pain), some medications, and external disturbances (like kids, pets, traffic noise) can also lead to "forced awakenings."
These interruptions can make it difficult to wake up in the morning, prolong the time taken to leave bed and decrease satisfaction with sleep quality.
For some, the cause of these night awakenings may not be apparent.