Seven out of ten Americans obtain the prescribed amount of sleep each night. Still, only three out of ten get high-quality sleep that leaves them feeling awake, cognitively sharp, and energetic the next day.

Quality of sleep may be more crucial than the amount of sleep, according to the data analysis from 1,055 adults who completed a novel sleep evaluation questionnaire.

The questionnaire was developed by an international group of specialists using a variety of variables to determine how well people slept.

Factors Impairing Your Quality of Sleep

Consider whether you have any of the following symptoms if you believe your sleep quality is poor:

• It takes you more than 30 minutes to get to sleep after you get into bed.
• You routinely have several nighttime awakenings.
• When you wake up in the middle of the night, you can't get back to sleep for at least 20 minutes.
• Your discretionary spending falls below 85%.
• Daytime fatigue and focus issues have become commonplace. A higher intake of caffeine might help you maintain your awake state.

How Do You Define a Good Night's Sleep?

There is a distinction between the amount and quality of sleep. How well you sleep is more indicative of your overall health than how much sleep you receive. It takes little time to calculate if you're receiving the minimum or maximum amount of sleep each night, so keeping track of your sleep is easy. A lot more art than science goes into determining the quality of a person's slumber. When we say that someone had a lovely night of sleep, we usually mean that they:

• You go to sleep within 30 minutes of getting into bed.
• You usually have a restful night's sleep with no more than one nocturnal awakening.
• You regularly get the quantity of sleep that scientists say is optimal for your age.
• If you wake up, you go back to sleep within 20 minutes.
• When you wake up in the morning, you feel rested, refreshed, and ready to go.

The Causes of Bad Sleep

A variety of factors can cause poor sleep quality. Sleep apnea, chronic stress, and other medical conditions can all disrupt your sleep, but there are other possible causes.

Disturbed Sleep Patterns

An irregular sleep pattern, excessive coffee or alcohol use, and other bad habits can affect your sleep. In a recent study, tobacco use and regular coffee use were significant contributors to nursing students' poor sleep quality. Even though it's a sedative, alcohol can cause sleep disruptions.

Anxiety and Stress

A mental health problem, such as depression or anxiety, can also hurt your ability to get decent sleep. Unfortunately, the vicious cycle of sleep deprivation and insomnia makes things worse.

Sleep Disorder Not Yet Diagnosed

Some sleep problems go untreated until the affected individual seeks medical attention for unrelated symptoms, such as poor sleep quality, or until their bed partner brings their attention to the problem. For instance, people with a periodic limb movement disorder have worse sleep quality because of involuntary jerking motions in their legs at night.

Insomnia Due to Sleep Apnea

Those who suffer from sleep apnea often make choking, gasping, and snoring noises as they sleep because their breathing is interrupted for brief periods. The brain must begin breathing anew, even if the person isn't consciously aware that they're awake—people who suffer from sleep apnea report problems with daytime sleepiness and low energy levels.

The Best Ways To Get Better Rest

Improving your sleep hygiene may be all it takes to have a better night's rest. Maintaining excellent sleep hygiene is as important as maintaining good dental hygiene, such as brushing and flossing continuously. Improve your sleep with these tips.

• At least 30 minutes before night, put away the TV, phone, and computer. The brain misinterprets the blue light given out by electronic gadgets as daylight, causing you to stay awake longer than you would like.
• Make your room a calm haven of darkness and silence. Put on some blackout drapes and turn the heat to around 60 degrees Fahrenheit; a white noise machine can also help.
• Maintain a regular schedule with your time spent sleeping and awake. Maintaining a regular bedtime and waking time helps your brain learn these natural rhythms.
• Make sure you have time in your schedule to get some shut-eye. The average adult should get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep nightly.
• Develop a soothing nighttime ritual. Pick things that put you at ease, like a warm bath, an audiobook, or writing in a diary. When you follow this routine night after night, your brain will begin associating it with sleep onset.