Twitter Chat: What Healthy Sleep Actually Looks Like Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Sleep Everyday Health s Sleep Twitter Chat Here s What You Missed It’s something you do every day, but most of us miss the mark. Here’s what top sleep experts had to say about getting better rest. By Jessica MigalaReviewed: April 8, 2022Fact-CheckedHitting the snooze button in the morning may be a sign that you're experiencing poor sleep quality, says the Sleep Research Society.Canva; Everyday HealthHow did you sleep last night? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers estimate that one in three adults don’t get adequate shut-eye. Consistently clocking enough hours brings a bevy of benefits, including a well-functioning immune system, lower risk of diabetes and heart disease, less stress, better mood and cognition, and an easier time staying at a healthier weight, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. By the same token, inadequate sleep can lead to a host of health problems. The past two years haven’t exactly been kind to our collective sleep habits. According to a 2021 survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 56 percent of adults reported that the pandemic has been bad for their sleep; they're finding it harder to fall asleep, experiencing worse quality of sleep, and having more bad dreams. Can you relate? Do you want to take back control of your sleep? Everyday Health brought top sleep experts and organizations together to discuss what healthy sleep means, how it improves your health, and how to make it better. Using the Twitter hashtag #EverydaySleepChat, top sleep organizations and experts chimed in about exactly how much to get, how to measure your sleep quality, what to do to get better sleep, and when to seek help from a medical professional. The chat featured:American Academy of Sleep Medicine A professional society dedicated to sleep medicine (Follow @AASMorg)Sleep Research Society An organization for scientific investigators who educate and research sleep and circadian science (Follow @ResearchSleep)Michael Grandner, PhD The director of the sleep and health research program at the University of Arizona and the director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Banner-University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona (Follow @michaelgrandner)Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD An associate professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City (Follow @MPStOngePhD)Jonathan Cedernaes, PhD A sleep and circadian rhythms researcher at Northwestern University in Chicago and Uppsala University in Sweden (Follow @JCedernaes) Want to know what happened during the #EverydaySleepChat? Here are some of the highlights. Everyday Health: What does a healthy night of sleep look like? American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Both the quantity and quality of your #sleep affect your health. Aim for 7 or more hours of sleep and avoid anything that can lead to fitful, interrupted sleep, such as alcohol or caffeine near bedtime. Let's get started! Q1. What does a healthy night of #sleep look like? #EverydaySleepChat pic.twitter.com/Xf0fGZihZm- Everyday Health (@EverydayHealth) March 9, 2022 Marie-Pierre St-Onge: Falling asleep easily, within 20 minutes, and staying asleep through the night with minimal awakenings, and waking up refreshed in the morning. Michael Grandner: Sleep is critical but flexible. If you get 7 to 8 hours, mostly at night, fall asleep in 5 to 20 minutes, spend some little time awake (most adults wake a few times with no problem), wake up feeling okay? You’re probably fine. Everyday Health: What are the benchmarks people should be measuring their sleep by? Marie-Pierre St-Onge: Don’t let your tracking device tell you how well you’ve slept! If you are alert, refreshed, and feeling good the next day, you’ve had a good night’s sleep. Q2. What are the benchmarks people should be measuring their #sleep by? #EverydaySleepChat #SleepAwarenessWeek pic.twitter.com/25R2jJ2C42- Everyday Health (@EverydayHealth) March 9, 2022 Michael Grandner: Total time asleep, sleep latency (time it takes to fall asleep), wake during sleep period, number of awakenings are all good [indicators]. Total sleep time / total time in bed = sleep efficiency percentage. Shoot for greater than 90 percent. Everyday Health: Is it true that some can “get by” on fewer than 7 hours of #sleep? Michael Grandner: Many may be okay with less, but we often think we are doing fine, even if we are not. Problems staying awake all day? Fall asleep too quickly? Those are some signs of insufficient sleep. Q3. Is it true that some can “get by” on fewer than 7 hours of #sleep? #EverydaySleepChat #SleepAwarenessMonth pic.twitter.com/mpHDikhnqu- Everyday Health (@EverydayHealth) March 9, 2022 Marie-Pierre St-Onge: There is a disconnect between objective impairment in vigilance and self-reported sleepiness and alertness ratings. Performance declines at a faster rate than self-reported fatigue and sleepiness. Jonathan Cedernaes: As highlighted by others, many do report too “little” sleep, but this may not be optimal for their physiology (e.g., metabolism, athletic performance, and more) or behavior (e.g. cognition, impulse control, mood etc.) see also: [AASM article on adult sleep duration]. There’s also a fairly large recent meta-analysis that looked at sleep duration in about 1.1 million individuals. In that study, based on objective #actigraphy, more than 80 percent of participants slept less than the recommended number of hours (which was always greater than 7 hours). But it’s still noteworthy that there are rare genetic #variants (mutations) that allow some individuals to get by on little #sleep. A3.3. But it's still noteworthy that there are rare genetic #variants (mutations) that allow some individuals to get by on little #sleep.For example, in the β1-#Adrenergic [sympathetic] receptor:rare: ~4 / 100,000~5.7 h sleep/nighthttps://t.co/nn5StJRVys#EverydaySleepChat pic.twitter.com/k1a58n9Vgk- Jonathan Cedernaes (@JCedernaes) March 9, 2022 Everyday Health: What are some of the lesser-known signs of a poor night of #sleep? Michael Grandner: If you have a short fuse, or fall asleep at meetings, or need caffeine to make it through the day, or crave junk food (energy), you may be getting poor quality sleep. Sleep Research Society: Some indicators of poor sleep include falling asleep quickly (less than 5 minutes), repeatedly hitting the snooze bar in the morning, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Everyday Health: How does not sleeping well really impact my #health and well-being? American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Without enough quality sleep, you may get sick more often. Your immune system is not at full strength without sleep. Your body may have difficulty fighting illness. Q5. How does not sleeping well really impact my #health and wellbeing? #EverydaySleepChat pic.twitter.com/g5q0YUWanE- Everyday Health (@EverydayHealth) March 9, 2022 Marie-Pierre St-Onge: Not sleeping well influences #CVD [cardiovascular disease] risk. People who don’t get enough sleep have higher atherosclerosis burden than those getting 7 or more hours of sleep. Having very fragmented sleep is also associated with subclinical atherosclerosis [link: article in the January 2019 Journal of the American College of Cardiology]. Everyday Health: What are some of the things I can do on my own to improve my #sleep? Michael Grandner: See sleep as an investment, not a cost. Give enough time and space to wind down. Don’t spend time awake in bed. Get up and start the day with plenty of light and movement. Q6. What are some of the things I can do on my own to improve my #sleep? #EverydaySleepChat pic.twitter.com/pMUG5triWS- Everyday Health (@EverydayHealth) March 9, 2022 Marie-Pierre St-Onge: Establish stable sleep routines. Not only will this improve sleep but it can also improve health status [link: article in the March 2020 International Journal of Obesity].Follow a healthy diet. Those who eat a diet rich in whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables have better sleep quality, higher sleep efficiency, and fewer sleep disturbances [links: September 2020 article in Nutrients; November 2018 article in Sleep]. A study of employees of 29 cities in Japan looked at factors associated with sleep disturbances. One was #diet: irregular mealtimes, not eating vegetables every day, drinking alcohol before bed, and daily caffeine intake. Other factors: weight gain, lack of sunlight in the morning in the bedroom, waking up before dawn, and electronics use in bed also were associated with sleep disturbances [link: June 2020 article in Sleep Health]. American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Your daily routines — what you eat and drink, the medications you take, how you schedule your days, and how you choose to spend your evenings — can significantly impact your quality of sleep. Even a few adjustments can, in some cases, mean the difference between sound sleep and a restless night. Sleep Research Society: Removing electronics from the bedroom can lead to a better night’s sleep. Everyday Health: When should I ask my doctor about my #sleep complaints? (And which doctor should I bring them up with?) Sleep Research Society: If you feel you are experiencing chronically bad sleep, it’s never too early to reach out to your doctor or a sleep specialist. Marie-Pierre St-Onge: Yes! Talk to your primary care physician about your sleep at your yearly checkup. Q7. When should I ask my doctor about my #sleep complaints? (And which doctor should I bring them up with?) #EverydaySleepChat pic.twitter.com/nxckcsHDHs- Everyday Health (@EverydayHealth) March 9, 2022 American Academy of Sleep Medicine: If poor #sleep is causing daytime problems or affecting your quality of life, it’s time to get support from a healthcare professional. Most #sleep problems respond well to treatment. Don’t delay care for sleep disorders, as they can lead to serious health problems if ignored. The team of healthcare professionals at an AASM accredited sleep center has the expertise to help you get your sleep back on track. A7: The team of health care professionals at an AASM accredited sleep center has the expertise to help you get your sleep back on track. https://t.co/BiL3b7Ak3T #EverydaySleepChat- American Academy of Sleep Medicine (@AASMorg) March 9, 2022 Michael Grandner: Get a referral if you snore loudly, have trouble staying awake, take more than 30 minutes to fall asleep (or are awake more than 30 minutes during the night), or even just feel like your sleep is restless. An evaluation can’t hurt! NEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Healthy Living Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The Latest in Sleep Night Owls Have a Higher Risk of Diabetes Heart Disease Staying up late at night and sleeping in later in the morning may make people more likely to develop certain chronic diseases, a new study suggests.By Lisa RapaportSeptember 27, 2022 Can Sex Help You Sleep The body responds to orgasm by unleashing hormones that may help you fall asleep faster and log better-quality sleep.By Moira LawlerAugust 24, 2022 Disparities in Who' s Getting Good Sleep for Black Other Minority CommunitiesBy Sari HarrarAugust 17, 2022 What Sleep Experts Do in the Morning to Set Themselves Up for Good Nightly SleepOpen the blinds, get out of bed, and meditate. Here are the a.m. routines sleep experts swear by.By Leah GrothAugust 16, 2022 Does the Navy SEAL Power Nap Really Leave You Feeling Rested in 8 Minutes Sleep experts weigh in on whether the trending sleep hack really works.By Elena BarreraAugust 8, 2022 7 Tips for a Good Night s Sleep in the Summer Heat and HumiditySoaring temperatures don’t have to sabotage your sleep. Here are some expert tips, plus when to talk to your doctor about night sweats.By Karla WalshJuly 21, 2022 A Complete Guide to Sleep Gummies and What They DoBy Leah GrothJuly 18, 2022 Study Finds Climate Change Could Be Bad for Sleep TooIt’s a problem because less sleep increases risk of lots of chronic health problems, and can interfere with cognitive function and mood.By Oladimeji EwumiJune 3, 2022 Scientists Find 7 Hours Sleep Is Best for Middle-Aged BrainsMiddle-aged and older adults have worse cognitive function when they get too little or too much sleep, a new study suggests.By Lisa RapaportMay 5, 2022 Why Doctors Don t Like Daylight Saving TimeThe U.S. Senate’s Sunshine Protection Act raises questions about the pros and cons of daylight saving and standard time.By Lisa RapaportMarch 18, 2022 MORE IN 5 Sleep Remedies That May Not Work and Could Do Harm Types of Insomnia Acute vs Chronic Painsomnia What to Do When Ankylosing Spondylitis Keeps You Up at Night