When you need good quality sleep the most, that is when you are up all night tossing and turning. Whether it’s the night before a big event, a big presentation at work, or a marathon run, you need sleep, but your brain refuses to turn itself off. Or maybe you slept all night but woke up tired and groggy. You are not alone. According to a 2014 survey by the National Sleep Foundation, approximately 35% of American adults rate their sleep quality as “poor” or “only fair.”1
Poor quality sleep has physical and psychological implications. Sleep affects metabolism, appetite, immune, endocrine, and cardiovascular health. According to The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and Sleep Research Society (SRS), adults should sleep seven or more hours per night regularly. Better quality sleep is associated with better health, less daytime sleepiness, well-being, and better psychological health.2
Causes and contributing factors can be divided into physical, psychological, and environmental/lifestyle causes.
Physical causes of disrupted sleep:
Psychological causes of disrupted sleep:
Environmental/lifestyle causes of disrupted sleep:3
There are about 100 different types of sleep disorders, but they can be classified as:2,4
Signs and symptoms of poor-quality sleep are usually pretty easy to identify:
Good sleep hygiene means prioritizing your sleep by ensuring you have healthy sleep habits and sleep in an environment that induces sleep.
Studies have suggested that poor sleep can impact weight management, immune health, psychological health, and cognitive function.
When researchers investigated the relationship between short sleep durations and obesity, they found that shorter sleep duration was associated with an increase in calorie and fat intake, with no change in energy expenditure. Sustained sleep problems can lead to overweight and obesity.5 It is difficult to work on body composition and sleep problems simultaneously. For this reason, many people turn to lipotropics such as Lipo-B12 to help them manage their weight.
Sleep and the circadian rhythm have a strong influence on immune function. Sleep also seems to play a role in forming immunological memory. Once your immune system is exposed to a pathogen, special colonies of B and T cells remember the infection. This allows them to mount a fast response if they are exposed to the same pathogen again. Antioxidants and mitochondrial support supplements such as NAD+ and vitamin packs are designed to support your immune function.
Besides weight gain and reduced immune function, chronic insomnia is associated with mood disorders and depression. Over half of people with major depressive disorder also have insomnia, and between 10 and 20% of people with insomnia also meet the criteria for major depressive disorder. In one study, researchers found that treating insomnia improved depressive symptoms.6
Restorative sleep is essential for optimal physical and mental health. Lifestyle and environmental factors can contribute to poor sleep. Poor sleep impacts you in the following ways:3,7
Over time, your sleep debt adds up and can have long-term effects on your health, including:3,7
Many people consider poor sleep a nuisance, but research has shown it is much more than that. Poor sleep can have a significant impact on your physical and mental health. If you are having chronic poor sleep and changing your lifestyle habits does not help, give your doctor a call to see if an appointment with a sleep specialist could help.
Disclaimer
While we strive to always provide accurate, current, and safe advice in all of our articles and guides, it’s important to stress that they are no substitute for medical advice from a doctor or healthcare provider. You should always consult a practicing professional who can diagnose your specific case. The content we’ve included in this guide is merely meant to be informational and does not constitute medical advice.
1. Foundation NS. 2014 Sleep Health Index. National Sleep Foundation Arlington, VA; 2014.
2. Harvey AG, Stinson K, Whitaker KL, Moskovitz D, Virk H. The subjective meaning of sleep quality: a comparison of individuals with and without insomnia. Sleep. Mar 2008;31(3):383-93. doi:10.1093/sleep/31.3.383
3. Medic G, Wille M, Hemels ME. Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption. Nat Sci Sleep. 2017;9:151-161. doi:10.2147/nss.S134864
4. Altevogt BM, Colten HR. Sleep disorders and sleep deprivation: an unmet public health problem. 2006;
5. St-Onge MP, Roberts AL, Chen J, et al. Short sleep duration increases energy intakes but does not change energy expenditure in normal-weight individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. Aug 2011;94(2):410-6. doi:10.3945/ajcn.111.013904
6. Isaac F, Greenwood KM. The relationship between insomnia and depressive symptoms: genuine or artifact? Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2011;7:57-63. doi:10.2147/ndt.S16267
7. Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, et al. Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: A Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Sleep. Jun 1 2015;38(6):843-4. doi:10.5665/sleep.4716