3 Tips to Get the Most from Your Sleep

In terms of sleep, when it comes to quantity versus quality, it's the quality that counts most. That means how well you sleep is more important than how long. This includes how long it takes you to arrive in the land of nod, and the amount of time spent in the various sleep stages. Quality sleep allows you to cycle through all four stages and spend enough time in each to reap the benefits.

Most of us know that adults need somewhere between 7 - 9 hours of sleep each night. This allows for 5 - 7 complete sleep cycles. But if those hours are poor quality someone getting 5 hours of high-quality sleep will be reaping more of the wellbeing rewards the next day. The good news is, there are a few things we can do to improve sleep quality and when we do, then chances are, we'll begin to achieve the optimal quantity too.

A quick rundown on sleep basics

A sleep cycle lasts somewhere between 70 and 120 minutes and contains four stages. Each stage corresponds to various physical and mental benefits, combining to restore and prepare us for wakefulness.

The first stage of sleep is known as NREM1 and lasts up to 5 minutes. It's a light stage of sleep and we are vaguely aware of our surroundings and easily disturbed from it. If we aren't disturbed, brain waves slow, as does breathing and we slip into stage 2.

Next it NREM2. It lasts a little longer, up to 60 minutes in fact. This is when our muscles relax, breathing and heart rate slow. Our brain waves move into a new pattern - theta. Sleep spindles and K-complexes start to appear too, these bursts of activity are important for consolidating learning and memory. The heightened brain activity of the K-complexes is thought to make it more difficult for us to wake.

Stage 3 is still an NREM phase and is identified as Deep Sleep. Muscles and breathing relax even further and it can be nigh on impossible to wake someone at this stage. Brain waves move to low frequency, high amplitude Delta waves. Our cerebral spinal fluid moves rhythmically in and out of our brain in this third stage of sleep. This stage allows toxins and metabolic waste products that have built up in the brain through the day to begin their journey out of the body.

The final stage of the sleep cycle, REM, is the one that gets the most press. Brain activity increases to near conscious levels. Our eyes wriggle around in their sockets beneath eyelids. Vivid dreams stream across the screen of our minds. This stage is essential for memory consolidation, learning and creativity. When we finish our REM stage, we drift towards consciousness and back to stage 1, NREM1.

Getting quality sleep

Quality sleep means cycling through all of these stages so our bodies and brains can reap the benefits of each stage. Only cycling through the first three stages means we miss out on the creativity boosts sleep gives us, skipping through deep sleep - NREM3 - leaves us feeling heavy and groggy on waking. Our brain is still swimming in our metabolic waste.

Ideally, we drop off to sleep quickly, cycle through a full 7 sleep cycles before waking and launch into our new day with verve and gusto. But that's an ideal world, and often the real world trumps the ideal world. When it does, it's best to aim for quality sleep over quantity sleep.

So how do we do that? The tips below should help you improve sleep quality. As you gain better sleep quality, it becomes easier to achieve optimal sleep quantity.

Sleep in Darkness

Light has a huge influence on our circadian rhythms, which in turn affect how awake we feel during conscious hours and how well we sleep. Ensuring you are sleeping in a dark room - or if this is impossible, with a sleep mask that blocks out light - will improve the quality of sleep.

Darkness triggers the production of melatonin - our 'sleepy time' hormone. If light leaks into your sleeping space it will interfere with melatonin production, making it harder to get to sleep and stay there.

Melatonin also influences the production of the antidiuretic hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP). AVP controls our urine - when there is more in our system, our body holds onto water and concentrates urine. When there is less, we produce more urine. Simply put, it stops us from getting up in the night to answer the call of nature. It's not fully understood how melatonin and AVP interact, but sleeping in darkness could assist with the production of both.

Keep it Cool

If it's too hot or too cold, it's hard to sleep. This could be because we're asking too much from our bodies. If it's busy working hard to keep our core temperature between 36.1°C and 37.2°C (97°F - 99°F) we need to be conscious to assist.

Too hot and we're sweating, which means we'll need to drink more. Too cold and we need to move so muscles can contract and squeeze blood to the extremities. That takes energy, so we'll need to eat.

The optimal sleeping temperature is between 15.6°C and 19.4°C (60°F - 67°F). Generally, males enjoy it cooler, females on the warmer end of the scale.

Watch what you eat

Most of us know to avoid screens and blue light before turning in for the night. Recommendations range from an hour to 2 hours before heading to bed. But what we eat in the evenings and how close to trying to get some shut-eye also impacts sleep quality.

A big meal before bed can make quality sleep difficult as our body is busy digesting food. This can make us hot and uncomfortable. While we may fall asleep easily, it's unlikely we'll get through all four sleep stages and complete a sleep cycle successfully. (Remember the oldsters napping after Christmas Dinner? It never lasts long.)

That said, a low-calorie carbohydrate or protein snack a half-hour before bed can improve sleep quality. There are loads of nuts and fruits that promote sleep - like bananas and walnuts. Some teas like camomile and oat flower also promote sleep.

You can even bake some yummy cookies that promote better sleep. I've tried this recipe and they're easy to make, delicious and helped me sleep better. Win-win-win!

If you're worried about how little sleep you get, stop. Instead, aim to improve the quality of your sleep. You can do this by ensuring darkness with black-out blinds or a sleep mask, making sure your room is the right temperature, and consuming the right amounts of the right foods and drinks no less than 30 minutes before you hit the sack. Sweet dreams!