Poor sleep quality refers to sleep that is not restful or restorative. It can involve difficulty falling asleep, frequent waking during the night, early morning waking, and not feeling refreshed upon waking.
Some key signs of poor sleep quality include:
- Difficulty falling asleep - Taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep most nights
- Frequent nighttime awakenings - Waking up 3 or more times per night
- Early morning awakenings - Waking up much earlier than desired and being unable to fall back asleep
- Non-restorative sleep - Not feeling well rested despite spending enough time asleep
What causes poor sleep quality?
Some common causes include:
- Stress and anxiety
- Underlying health issues - sleep disorders, chronic pain, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Environmental factors - noise, light, uncomfortable room temperature
- Poor sleep habits - inconsistent bedtimes, excessive screen time before bed
What are the consequences of poor sleep quality?
The effects of poor sleep are wide-ranging. A lack of quality sleep can negatively impact:
- Energy, productivity and performance
- Mood - increased irritability, anxiety and depression
- Concentration and memory
- Immune function
- Weight control
- Heart and cardiovascular health
How can you improve poor sleep quality?
Some tips for better quality sleep include:
- Follow a regular sleep-wake schedule
- Limit screen time for 1-2 hours before bedtime
- Ensure your bedroom is quiet, cool and dark
- Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol close to bedtime
- Relax through yoga, meditation, reading, warm baths
- Get checked for underlying issues - meet with your doctor or a sleep specialist like those at Hormone Solutions
Our integrative providers offer customized treatment plans that may include
bioidentical hormone therapy, nutrition planning, and lifestyle changes to help patients achieve restful sleep.
We also provide testing to identify deficiencies or disruptions in hormones like
estrogen, testosterone, cortisol and melatonin - which all play a role in healthy sleep-wake cycles.
If you're struggling with insomnia or poor sleep, schedule a consultation at Hormone Solutions to explore science-based solutions tailored to your needs. We're dedicated to uncovering the root causes of sleep issues rather than masking them with a "one size fits all" approach.