Experts say quality of sleep is more beneficial than quantity

Get those Zzzzs.

Experts have said that the quality of our sleep at night is a lot more beneficial than the amount of sleep we get. A number of new studies suggest that falling asleep quickly and staying asleep for the entire night is more important than the amount of hours we get. Charles University and the Czech Academy of Sciences followed more than 4,000 adults in the Czech Republic during 2018, 2019 and 2020 and looked into their sleep patterns. Quality of life was measured using five parameters: life satisfaction, wellbeing, happiness, subjective health and work stress. “Better sleep means a better quality of life,” the scientists write in the study, published in the journal Plos One. “While when, and how long we sleep is important, individuals with better quality sleep also have a better quality of life – regardless of the time and length of sleep. "With the exception of extremes, sleep duration – alongside the differences in sleep habits on workdays and free days – is not as important to quality of life as a good night’s sleep.” They also looked into "social jetlag" which is where socially directed sleep patterns and biological sleep rhythms don't line up. This results when the body is running on a conflicting schedule and work and normal life clash or sleep is disrupted due to normal parenting duties. This can also occur when we go to bed later and wake up later at the weekend than on weekdays. A Harvard study last month found that a regular and good quality sleep pattern can extend life for men by five years and two years for women.

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