How to Get Better Sleep, According to Science

What Science Says About Getting Better Sleep

Struggling with sleep? You’re not alone. Poor sleep quality is an extremely under-diagnosed issue that many people suffer from. Struggling to fall asleep, waking up frequently throughout the night, or lying in bed wide awake night after night? It’s time to address your sleep hygiene before it starts seriously impacting your health in negative ways that could be permanent. There are many serious health issues linked to poor sleep quality, but luckily, there are things you can start doing as soon as tonight to work on improving your sleep. Keep reading to learn more about how to get better sleep according to science, and when it might be time to see a specialist for sleep apnea treatment.

Am I Getting Enough Sleep?

Many people wear it as a badge of honor when they are able to run on very little sleep. While getting the occasional poor night’s sleep due to illness, jetlag, or a switch-up in your schedule, it shouldn’t be repeating night after night.

Here’s what science says:

Experts recommend that adults sleep between 7 and 9 hours a night. Adults who sleep less than 7 hours a night may have more health issues than those who sleep 7 or more hours a night. Sleeping more than 9 hours a night is not necessarily harmful and may be helpful for young adults, people who are recovering from sleep deprivation, and people who are sick.

Signs of Poor Sleep Health

The tricky thing about having bad sleep hygiene is that you may not even know that it is happening. Unless you have a bed-sharing partner, you may have no idea that you snore, have gasping spells, sleepwalk, or have other sleep issues.

Here’s how you can tell if you are getting poor sleep quality:

• Constant fatigue
• Cognitive issues, such as memory, focus, impaired judgement, or simply making lots of mistakes
• Dry mouth
• Sore throat
• Frequent headaches
• Dark circles
• Poor skin
• Difficulty losing weight
• Weight gain
• The need for a nap or coffee throughout the day
• Frequent night awakenings, especially to urinate
• Waking up too early in the morning
• Mood issues, such as increased anxiety, depression, irritability, or emotional
• Getting sick more frequently due to a weakened immune system

Do any of these symptoms sound familiar? Feeling the brain fog throughout the day? You’re likely getting poor sleep quality night after night. Ongoing poor sleep compounds into serious health issues, making it extremely important to address it as soon as possible. If any of these symptoms resonate with you, it’s time to seriously switch up your sleep routine.

Why is Sleep So Important?

Sleep is extremely important for your body. Understanding the science behind sleep, the impacts of poor sleep, and why you should fix your sleep issues will help you prioritize sleep hygiene in order to live a healthier, better overall life.

Here is what science says about why sleep is so important:

When you fall asleep and enter non-REM sleep, your blood pressure and heart rate fall. During sleep, your parasympathetic system controls your body, and your heart does not work as hard as it does when you are awake. During REM sleep and when waking, your sympathetic system is activated, increasing your heart rate and blood pressure to the usual levels when you are awake and relaxed. A sharp increase in blood pressure and heart rate upon waking has been linked to angina, or chest pain, and heart attacks.

Your body makes different hormones at different times of day. This may be related to your sleep pattern or your circadian clocks. In the morning, your body releases hormones that promote alertness, such as cortisol, which helps you wake up. Other hormones have 24-hour patterns that vary throughout your life; for example, in children, the hormones that tell the glands to release testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone are made in pulses at night, and the pulses get bigger as puberty approaches.

The way your body handles fat varies according to various circadian clocks, including those in the liver, fat, and muscle. For example, the circadian clocks make sure that your liver is prepared to help digest fats at appropriate times. Your body may handle fat differently if you eat at unusual times.

During sleep, you breathe less often and less deeply and take in less oxygen. These changes can cause problems in people who have health problems such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Asthma symptoms are usually worse during early morning sleep. Likewise, breathing problems in people who have lung diseases such as COPD can become worse during sleep.

Sleep helps with learning and the formation of long-term memories. Not getting enough sleep or enough high-quality sleep can lead to problems focusing on tasks and thinking clearly. Read our Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency page for more information on how lack of sleep affects the performance of daily activities, including driving and schoolwork.

Understanding the Impact of Circadian Rhythm

You can think of circadian rhythm as, essentially, your body’s clock. It regulates sleep, alertness, the release of hormones, and much more throughout a 24-hour day. When disturbed, it can lead to issues such as:

• Focusing
• Emotional regulation
• Fatigue
• Health issues
• Mental health struggles

Your circadian rhythm is when you feel sleepy at night and when your body is ready to wake up in the morning. What you do throughout the day impacts both of these essential parts. Depending on your lifestyle, schedule, and personal preferences, you may be more of a night owl, or you might be more of a morning person. Either is fine, as long as you are getting the recommended amount of sleep per night and feeling rested and refreshed in the morning. If you do not, it is time to change up your sleep hygiene and reset your circadian rhythm.

Tips for Better Sleep, According to Science

Ready to reset your circadian rhythm and get better sleep? There are a handful of things you can try as soon as tonight in order to reset and get back on track. It may take a few days to a few weeks to finally reset your circadian rhythm and feel the full benefits of that better quality sleep while your body refills its “sleep tank.” However, if the issues continue or become worse, it may be time to see a healthcare professional for a sleep disorder diagnosis.

Set a Bed Time and Wake Up Time

The very first step to resetting your circadian rhythm and getting better quality sleep is to set a bedtime and wake-up time and stick to them, especially in the beginning weeks of committing to better sleep quality.

Your bedtime and wake-up time are the most essential factors of your body’s circadian rhythm. Your body will begin to adjust to your new bedtime and wake-up time throughout the coming days, and you will notice yourself tiring more naturally at night with the ability to go to sleep more quickly than before. You will also notice yourself waking up more easily with fewer hits of the snooze button and with more energy in the morning.

Respecting Your Sleep Environment

Did you know that your sleep environment—including your bed, bedroom, and what is around you—can greatly impact your sleep health?

Here are some tips for making your environment optimal for a great night’s sleep:

• Use your bed for sleep only. Don’t read, watch TV, work, or lounge on your bed throughout the day. Save it for sleep only.
• Adjust curtains, lighting, and sound. Invest in blackout curtains, get softer lighting options, and plug in a sound machine. All of these things will help your body adjust to better sleep throughout the night.
• Temperature matters. Keep your room on the cooler side. Snuggling up with blankets is comforting and more relaxing for the body, which will help you stay asleep for longer periods.

Understand the Impact of Diet and Exercise

Diet and exercise not only impact your weight, but they also affect every part of you, including your sleep.

Exercise will help regulate your circadian rhythm. However, exercising too close to bedtime will cause you to stay awake for longer due to the release of endorphins. As such, don’t work out any later than 3 hours before bedtime. If you must exercise at night due to your schedule, adjust your bedtime accordingly.

Eating heavy meals before bed will also cause sleep disruptions. Eat a light snack if you are hungry in the evening. Ideally, eat a balanced diet in order to avoid hunger spikes and keep your body healthy.

Ditch the Electronics

Do you watch TV as you fall asleep? Do you doom-scroll in bed? Many of us will answer yes to these questions; however, electronics negatively impact our sleep quality. Not only do electronics stimulate the brain, but they also emit blue light that mimics daylight. This interferes with our circadian rhythm because it blocks melatonin production.

Ditching electronics at least an hour before bedtime will help your body fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Ideally, you would keep your bedroom a “screen-free zone,” and leave everything on the charger once you’re ready to climb into bed.

Do I Have a Sleep Disorder?

If you feel like you’ve tried everything to get better sleep yet aren’t seeing the results, or if you feel as if your health is worsening, it may be time to see a sleep apnea specialist for treatment options.

Some of the many sleep disorders, aside from sleep apnea, include:

• Insomnia
• Narcolepsy
• Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)
• Parasomnias
• Hypersomnia
• Circadian Rhythm Disorders
• REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD)

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

If you’re feeling the effects of poor sleep quality and also suffer from loud snoring, whether according to a bed-sharing partner or indicated by frequent sore throats, you may have sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea symptoms include:

• Loud snoring
• Gasping in the sleep
• Pauses in breathing
• Restless sleep

Sleep apnea can lead to severe health issues, including stroke and heart attack. Luckily, there are ways to treat it without a CPAP or invasive surgery, such as through the Vivos Method.

Sleep Apnea Treatment with Gorman Health and Wellness

Dr. Gorman is a part of the breathing wellness movement, which aims to increase awareness and improve treatment for sleep-related airway conditions like sleep apnea. He has partnered with organizations focused on collaborating with dentists to apply the sciences of Craniofacial Epigenetics (the study of cranial modifications caused by gene expression as opposed to genetic code alteration) and Pneumopedics® (the practical application of oral appliance therapy and non-surgical airway remodeling) in the management of sleep apnea.

Together, the application of these sciences allows for the underlying causes of airway obstruction to be treated in 98% of cases, resulting in a high success rate among sleep apnea patients. For every sleep apnea case at our practice, Dr. Gorman will gather patient data and determine the patient’s specific needs based on home sleep test results, dental impressions, CT scans, and images. Our state-of-the-art technology, paired with Dr. Gorman’s experience with sleep disorders, allows him to find the most effective treatment plan for each individual’s particular case, yielding improved daytime and nighttime breathing for the patient.

“I have been helping people suffering from Sleep Apnea with a non-invasive, clinically approved treatment method. This method has allowed my patients to sleep with far fewer events per hour, allowing them to get rid of their CPAP and BiPAP machines. Imagine not having to use one of those machines, getting back a much greater quality of life along with the benefits of being able to breathe better.” – Dr. Gorman.

For more information on Dr. Gorman and improving your sleep health, visit MGormanDental.com!