A similarity in the meaning of sleep quality between insomniacs, normal sleepers

Both insomnia patients and normal sleepers define sleep quality by tiredness upon waking and throughout the day, feeling rested and restored upon waking, and the number of awakenings they experienced in the night.

Further, people with insomnia have more requirements for judging sleep to be of good quality, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of the journal SLEEP.

“Good sleep quality is associated with a wide range of positive outcomes such as better health, less daytime sleepiness, greater well-being and better psychological functioning,” said Allison G. Harvey, PhD, of the University of California at Berkeley, lead author of the study. “Moreover, poor sleep quality is one of the defining features of chronic insomnia. So it is surprising that there is minimal systematic research devoted to how humans arrive at their subjective sense of whether they had a good or poor nights sleep. In this study, we used a range of methods to compare the sleep quality judgments of insomnia patients and good sleepers. Two important findings were: (a) Tiredness upon waking and throughout the day were most consistently associated with sleep quality judgments - this finding emphasizes the importance of the recent shift in the field to study daytime variables - and (b) Individuals with insomnia appear to have more requirements to be met before they feel have experienced a night of good sleep quality.

The study focused on 25 individuals with insomnia and 28 normal sleepers, whose descriptions of good and poor sleep quality nights were analyzed and recorded.

Insomnia is a classification of sleep disorders in which a person has trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up too early. These disorders may also be defined by an overall poor quality of sleep. Insomnia is the most commonly reported sleep disorder. About 30 percent of adults have symptoms of insomnia.

It is recommended that adults get between seven and eight hours of nightly sleep.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) offers the following tips on how to get a good night's sleep:

• Follow a consistent bedtime routine.
• Establish a relaxing setting at bedtime.
• Get a full night's sleep every night.
• Avoid foods or drinks that contain caffeine, as well as any medicine that has a stimulant, prior to bedtime.
• Do not bring your worries to bed with you.
• Do not go to bed hungry, but don't eat a big meal before bedtime either.
• Avoid any rigorous exercise within six hours of your bedtime.
• Make your bedroom quiet, dark and a little bit cool.
• Get up at the same time every morning.

Those who suspect that they might be suffering from insomnia, or another sleep disorder, are encouraged to consult with their primary care physician or a sleep specialist.