Sleep Is Essential for Health

By Jessica Thomas, MPH

On an intuitive level, we all know that good sleep is vital for our health. However, if we scratch the surface of this understanding a little bit, problems can start to emerge. Do we know what good sleep truly is? Many people think it can be defined by the number of hours we sleep or whether we have problems like sleep apnea.

The truth, though, is far more complex. Good sleep has more to do with the quality of our sleep rather than the number of hours that we sleep. And just because you don’t have a sleep disorder or other significant problem, that doesn’t mean you get good sleep.

Defining Good Sleep Health

There are many ways to define what good sleep health is, but there is no consensus about the right or wrong way to go about this. As a result, it remains an area of active debate in the scientific and medical community.

At its simplest, good sleep health leaves you feeling energetic and able to take on your daily tasks. On the other hand, a lack of good sleep health may leave you feeling exhausted, dragging, and struggling to function. Completing even simple tasks can be arduous. This lack of good sleep health can affect both your physical and mental health.

The Link Between Poor Sleep Health and Poor Overall Health

Not surprisingly, if good sleep health can be linked to good health outcomes, poor sleep health can also be linked to poorer overall health and health outcomes for impacted people.

The United States’ National Institutes of Health (NIH) has conducted extensive research into the negative impacts of poor sleep on health and has found myriad consequences. Some of these effects are logical and expected, and some are less well-known (although research continues into these less well-known risks).

Perhaps the most well-known links are among poor sleep patterns, poor sleep health, and cardiovascular health. Poor sleep can lead to high blood pressure, which is also linked to heart disease and an elevated risk of stroke.

Research has also shown that poor sleep health causes late-night eating and increased caloric consumption, which can increase the risk of a person developing obesity. Obesity is a standalone problem. However, it’s also associated with an elevated risk for other diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, which can negatively impact a person’s quality of life, as well as their life expectancy.

Poor sleep health not only impacts a person’s physical health, but it also affects their mental health. For example, insomnia can skyrocket a person’s risk of depression almost ten times. Many people who are dealing with poor sleep also highlight how this has led to an uptick in their anxiety. However, it is important to note that the relationship between sleep and mental health is complex. Existing mental health problems can also drive sleep issues. There is an element of circularity here.

Assessing Our Sleep

In a seminal article published in 2014, Dr. Daniel Buysse highlighted traditional weaknesses in the sleep study field. As Buysse noted, sleep medicine has tended to focus on problems that can be identified and treated. Unfortunately, this approach overlooks many aspects of sleep and minimizes the link between sleep and health.

Buysse notes that one of the most important things that can be done is transforming the language we use to talk about sleep. Instead of focusing on the terminology of sleep problems, such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy, it’s critical that we move towards discussing sleep health. Assessing sleep health requires input from the person who is trying to sleep. One way to do this is with the RU-SATED questionnaire. RU-SATED attempts to give people insight into their sleep health with six simple and straightforward questions, only one of which is focused on how much time a person sleeps. The questionnaire also assesses regularity of sleep times, satisfaction with sleep, alertness during the day, timing of sleep, and efficiency of falling asleep. A higher score out of 12 indicates that a person has better or good sleep health. On the other hand, a score near zero should raise alarms about sleep and the person’s health.

Moving Forward

Throughout the world, many people are plagued by poor sleep, ranging from sleep deprivation (not getting enough hours of sleep each night) to getting poor quality and disrupted sleep that negatively impacts their day-to-day functioning. Part of addressing poor sleep is transitioning the conversation both in the general public and in the medical community from poor sleep and the number of hours slept each night to good sleep health and the quality of sleep.

Once this transition happens, it’s crucial for both sleepers and the scientific community that studies them to understand that there is a fundamental link between good sleep health and good overall health. Without good sleep health, people are at risk of developing a wide range of physical and mental health problems.

World Sleep Day: Celebrating Awareness

In recent years, there has been a rise in global awareness that good sleep is essential to a person’s overall physical and mental health. To celebrate this awareness and continue building momentum, a wide range of stakeholders, including sleep researchers, medical doctors, and impacted patients, join together to acknowledge World Sleep Day on the Friday before Spring Vernal Equinox of each year. To learn more visit worldsleepday.org

*Citations available on healthiersleepmag.com

Jessica Thomas is a public health professional, health & wellness writer, and entrepreneur. She enjoys learning about and educating others on healthy living and observing how technology is changing the healthcare space.