Subhi Agrawal
When individuals visit a sleep clinic for treatment, they often bring with them a set of expectations about what “healthy sleep” should look like.
The Cyclic Nature of Restful Nights
Many believe that as soon as their head hits the pillow, they should quickly drift into deep, restorative sleep and wake up after around eight hours feeling refreshed. This is a common belief among many Australians.
In reality, healthy sleep follows a cyclical pattern throughout the night, with people moving through various sleep stages and frequently waking up briefly. While some may recall these awakenings, others may not.
Adults typically go through five or six sleep cycles each night, and it’s completely normal to wake up briefly at the end of each cycle, meaning you might wake up five times during the night. This number can increase with age, but it remains healthy. If you don’t recall these brief awakenings, that’s perfectly fine—they often last only a short time.
What Defines a Good Night of Sleep?
It’s commonly said that adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night, but good sleep is about more than just the quantity—it’s also about the quality. For most people, sleeping well means falling asleep quickly (within around 30 minutes), not waking up for extended periods, and waking up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day.
If you’re consistently getting at least seven hours of restful sleep each night and still feeling excessively sleepy during the day, it could be a sign of an underlying issue. If you’re regularly feeling physically tired, needing naps, and not feeling refreshed after sleep, it may be a good idea to consult your general practitioner, as there could be a range of potential causes.
Frequent Sleep Problems
Sleep disorders are widespread, with up to 25% of adults experiencing insomnia, which makes it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep, or cause early waking. Conditions like insomnia and sleep apnea – where breathing stops or becomes irregular during sleep – become more common with age, affecting 20% of younger adults and 40% of middle-aged individuals. Fortunately, effective treatments are available, so seeking help is crucial.
There are also other factors that can interfere with sleep, such as being woken by children, pets, or traffic noise. These “forced awakenings” can make it harder to get up in the morning, leave bed more slowly, and feel less rested. For some people, night awakenings may occur without a clear reason. To assess whether these disruptions are problematic, consider how they impact your overall well-being. If they lead to frustration, worry, or affect your daily functioning, it may be time to seek help.
Struggling to get up in the morning can stem from various factors, such as not getting enough sleep, having irregular sleep schedules, or your body’s internal clock, which affects your preferred sleep time. If you’re consistently having difficulty waking up for work or family responsibilities, it may be a sign that you should seek assistance. A sleep psychologist can help explore these issues if they are causing concern.
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