What is Healthy Sleep?

Dear Reader, 

In these newsletter,  we will be covering
1) What is Healthy Sleep
2) What is Sleep Quality 
3) Sleep Quality measured using Sleep efficiency. 
4) Exercise to Transform your Sleep quality experience


(1)  What is Healthy Sleep? 

**Healthy Sleep = [Ideal number of sleeping hours] + [Uninterrupted Quality Sleep]** 

▪︎ Healthy sleep involves not only adequate duration [quantity] but also good quality, Uninterrupted sleep that allows for the cycling through different stages of sleep, including non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

What is the ideal number of sleeping hours?
▪︎ Normal sleep duration varies across the human lifespan, with newborns requiring up to 17 hours and adults needing 7-9 hours per night [ Recomendation from the National Sleep Foundation]
▪︎ Sleep duration recommendations suggest that adults aim for at least 7 hours of sleep per night, with older adults requiring slightly less. 

▪︎ Healthy sleep involves getting sufficient [ at least 7hours for adult], uninterrupted rest regularly, crucial for overall well-being.
▪︎ It encompasses both sleep quantity and quality, impacting mood, cognitive function, and physical health.
▪︎ Understanding sleep patterns, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, and addressing sleep disruptions are key to achieving healthy sleep 

▪︎ Factors such as age, pregnancy, illness, and lifestyle can influence sleep needs and quality 
▪︎ Poor sleep quality is linked to various health issues, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.


(2) What is Sleep Quality? 

▪︎ Sleep Quality refers to the overall experience of sleep, How well you sleep, including factors such as
》the Ability to fall asleep quickly
》Stay asleep throughout the night and
》Wake up feeling rested and refreshed.

▪︎ Good sleep quality is essential for physical and mental health, as it allows the body to perform essential functions such as tissue repair, memory consolidation, and immune system strengthening.


(3) What is Sleep Efficiency?
▪︎ Sleep efficiency is a measure of the percentage of time spent asleep while in bed.
Sleep quality can be objectively measured using Sleep Efficiency 

▪︎ Sleep Efficiency is Calculated by dividing the Total amount of time spent sleeping by the total amount of time Spent in bed, excluding any time spent awake or engaging in non-sleep-related activities. Multiply by 100%

Sleep Efficiency = [ Total time spend in bed]/ Total time spend sleeping] X 100%

Example
Total time spend in Bed = 10 hours
Time spend sleeping = 7 hours
Sleep efficiency = 70%

▪︎ A sleep efficiency of 90% or higher is considered good, indicating that a person is spending the majority of their time in bed sleeping


4) Exercise to Transform your Sleep quality experience: 

▪︎ **Start a Sleep diary Daily** to ascertain
1) Total time spend in Bed
2) Time spend sleeping by approximation 

Example:
Last night:
Document Time going to bed = 11pm 

Estimate the time fell asleep = 12 MN 

Time duration  taken to fall asleep = 1 hour 

How many times wake up in between sleep = 3 times 

Estimate time duration taken to fall back to sleep each time after wake up = 20 mins 

Time last wake up from sleep at  = 8am

Time get out of bed = 9 am 

》 Total time spend in Bed = 10 hour  [from 11pm to 9 am ] 
》 time spent awake or engaging in non-sleep-related activities = 3 hours
~ Time spend trying to get to sleep = 1 hour
~ Time spend awakening in between = 3 X 20 mins = 1 hr
~ Time spend in bed after last awaken before getting out from bed = 1hour 
》Total time spend sleeping = 10 - 3 hours = 7 hours 

》Sleep efficency = 7/10 x100% = 70%

▪︎ Review the quality of your previous night sleep using the set of standardised questions as above

▪︎ Repeat the process every night


▪︎ Both  Sleep quality and calculating the sleep efficiency % figure every night, are crucial for optimal rest and rejuvenation.


Take Home Message:
(1) Healthy Sleep = [ 7-9 hours of Sleep for adults]  + [ Sleep efficiency = or > 90%] 

(2) Start & Commit yourself to doing your Daily Sleep Diary Today

(3) Track your Sleep progress  manually
If your sleep efficency figure increasing over a period of time = Improving Sleep quality


🚀 Optimize Your Sleep experience Today! 

Exercise:
▪︎ Commit to ritualistically do the Sleep Diary everyday:
▪︎ Do the Sleep dialy and Sleep Efficiency calculation on an Excel  spreadsheet 

▪︎ Do it daily as far as is practicable to track your Sleep Quality progress


Rest well, Look forward to hear from you


LOOI KWOK WAH