The concept of 8-hour sleep needs no introduction. From kids to seniors, everyone talks about it. Everyone tries to hit that mark to protect their health. But is it the only way to evaluate one’s sleep health? I highly doubted it and guess what, I was right! Here’s what I’ve learned about sleep in my quick and crisp research. 

First things first:

 

What is Sleep Health: 

A multifaceted sleep-wakefulness pattern that supports both physical and mental well-being and is tailored to individual, social, and environmental demands. It can be evaluated in more ways than simply the duration. 

Here are 5 indicators of your sleep health (Known as SATED).

• Duration: How long do you sleep?
• Efficiency/Continuity: How quickly can you fall asleep or return to sleep?
• Timing: What is the placement of your sleep within 24 hours?
• Alertness: How alert are you during the waking hours?
• Satisfaction: How satisfied are you with your sleep on average?

Therefore, if you have 8 hours of sleep yet you still feel sleepy the entire day, you need to rethink your sleep habits. If necessary, you may even consider consulting a professional and getting some advice.

 

What Does Each Sleep Health Indicator Mean? 

Each of the indicators we discussed above can tell much about your overall health. That is why regulating a healthy sleep cycle is essential. An expert would be able to interpret your sleep more efficiently but let us cover the basics.

One’s sleep duration can indicate the possibilities of obesity, impaired neurobehavioural performance, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and mortality. Similarly, the second indicator — Sleep efficiency or continuity — can indicate the risk of depression, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. 

Your sleep timing and satisfaction can also tell much about your health, from impaired glucose metabolism to heart disease.  So, it is important to have a healthy balance of these five elements. 

 

Final Message:

For a long time, the duration is the only thing we know about a good night’s sleep. But now we know there’s more to it than just 8 hours. Consider these aspects and rate yourself on a scale of 0 to 10. If the result is concerning, consult a professional as soon as you can. 

For further learning about sleep health, you can also check out this academic page. Let us know if you found this post informative. It’d motivate us to bring more valuable content to you! 

See you again!