I've got no problem falling asleep, and I stay asleep right through the night…it's just that, when I wake up, I don't feel refreshed! I just can't get a good night's sleep.” Does that sound familiar?
A surprisingly high number of people have what would be classed as 'normal' sleep patterns, but nonetheless wake up feeling sleepy, dull and unfocused – unable to concentrate and generally feeling 'below par'. It is sleep quality, rather than duration or continuity, where the problem lies – they simply cannot get a good night's sleep. This can be particularly frustrating since in the absence of a disturbed sleep pattern there are no obvious ways to improve sleep quality alone, and nothing more than sleep tips available to help.
The clinical term for problems with sleep quality in the absence of sleep pattern disturbance is 'Non-restorative sleep' (NRS). Persistent and regular problems of this sort that cause significant distress qualify as an official insomnia subtype according to the internationally-recognized DSM-IV manual of psychological disorders.Results from the Great British Sleep Survey http://www.greatbritishsleepsurvey.com/
(GBSS) indicated that about 9% of poor sleepers experience NRS. Importantly, NRS should be considered as important as other types of insomnia, like those with problems falling asleep, because impairment in daytime functioning has been shown to be similar across these groups.
NRS as a distinct type of insomnia is only now beginning to receive attention in the clinical and scientific literature. This means that treatment options for this subtype are currently being explored. Importantly, work using CBT methods have revealed improvements in sleep quality, after course completion. Indeed, the Sleepio course, which features cognitive and behavioral techniques, was shown in clinical trials to increase sleep quality by 114% on average. Such online sleep improvement programs are a promising new way to help those with bad quality sleep get a good night sleep.
If you want to know more about your sleep please consult your doctor, or find out more about the Sleepio course here.
Sleeping positionsSleeping positions
Recent results from the Great British Sleep Survey found 'bodily discomfort' to top the list of physical factors that negatively affected respondents' sleep. In fact, over 67% of those surveyed reported that their sleep frequently suffered due to discomfort. Further to this, the negative effects of discomfort were seen to increase with age.
This age-related increase in discomfort has been echoed in previous research into sleep positions. Studies have shown that preference for a given sleeping position may change with age, leading to Koninck et al. (1992) investigating prevalence of certain positions across different age groups. They found that all of the age groups studied showed a preference for the fetal position – lying on their side with arms and legs bent.
Some differences in comfortable sleeping positions at certain ages were observed however. Younger age groups changed their sleep positions and, in general, moved their bodies more often throughout the night than the older population. Additionally, older participants showed a preference for sleeping on their right side, with few sleeping on their stomachs, whilst children spent an almost equal amount of time sleeping on their side as they did sleeping on their backs. This preference for a side sleeping position peaked between the ages of 35 and 45.
Following research such as this, it has been suggested that the older population may prefer sleeping on their side due to reduced flexibility and the additional effort required to breathe in other positions.
Sleeping position and sleep quality
In the context of certain sleep disorders, such as sleep apnoea, the position one sleeps in can be highly important. That is, for certain patients, sleeping in the supine position can make apneas more likely to occur.
Healthy sleepers might only find weird or unusual sleeping positions problematic if they cause bodily discomfort. So it is best to experiment and find the sleeping position that works best for you!
References:
Koninck, J.D., Lorrain, D., Gagnon, P. (1992). Sleep positions and position shifts in five age groups: an ontogenetic picture. Sleep, 15(2)
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