Recent findings from Flinders University reveal that 31 percent of adults are not getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night, making a good night’s rest increasingly elusive.
As crucial to health as diet and exercise, sleep was the focus of a global study involving 68,000 adults worldwide.
Of those who did achieve adequate hours of sleep per night over the 9-month monitoring period, about 40 percent of those nights fell outside the ideal range recommended.
An estimated 15 percent suffer from chronic insomnia and approximately 20 percent of people fit the diagnosis for sleep apnoea.
Flinders University sleep researcher Hannah Scott said, “This is crucial because regularly not sleeping enough—or possibly too much—are associated with ill effects and we are only just realising the consequences of irregular sleep.”
“Clearly getting the recommended sleep duration range frequently is a challenge for many people to achieve, especially during the working week.”
As part of the study, the Flinders Research Group used sleep tracking data with an under-mattress sensor to identify the sleep durations of the adult participants.
Female participants were found on average to sleep longer than males, while middle-aged participants correlated with shorter sleep durations.
In response to these findings, the director of Sleep Health research at Flinders University, and Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) leadership fellow, Professor Danny Eckert underscored the need to prioritise sleep in public health efforts.
“Based on these findings, public health and advocacy efforts need to support the community and individuals to achieve more regular sleep within the recommended range for their age,” he said.
“Given what we know about the importance of sleep to health, we also need to assist people to resolve chronic sleep difficulties and encourage all people to make sleep a priority.”
Recognizing the complexity of sleep issues, which can range from lifestyle habits to medical disorders, the researchers propose a diverse approach to improving sleep quality and duration.
Learning about the differences in sleep phases, including light and deep sleep phases, is essential for addressing sleep issues effectively. Light sleep, characterized by a quicker response to alertness, plays a pivotal role in memory consolidation and recovery, serving as a bridge to deeper, more restorative sleep stages.
Aiming for a regular sleep pattern, even on weekends, can significantly enhance sleep quality. Adhering to a fixed wake-up time and retiring to bed when naturally tired are key strategies.
For those unable to keep a regular schedule, compensatory sleep is recommended to mitigate the effects of sleep debt.
Symptoms such as daytime drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, and memory lapses signal the need for more restorative sleep.
Individuals sleeping less than seven hours might benefit from allowing more time for sleep or incorporating naps into their routine.
Limiting caffeine and alcohol intake, especially later in the day, and avoiding heavy meals before bedtime can facilitate a smoother transition to sleep.
Consulting a general practitioner is a critical step for those concerned about their sleep, with referrals to sleep specialists available for diagnosing and treating sleep disorders.
