Four Key Factors Affecting Sleep Quality

There’s nothing quite like waking up from a restful night’s sleep and feeling unstoppable: energized, alive, and ready for the day. I’ve had a WHOOP watch now for over a year, and have been closely watching my sleep trends and patterns. The data gathered plus some research on sleep habits and restful sleep have led me to target four factors, in your control, that affect sleep quality.

So, what are they and what can we do to help them? *Please note stress levels are not included as they are not solely caused by internal factors but often factors outside of our control.

1) Caffeine

Consuming caffeine too late in the day can have adverse affects on our sleep. Inside the brain, caffeine blocks adenosine receptors. Adenosine is a sleep-promoting chemical that is produced in the brain during our waking hours. So, our natural biological clock is cut off.

Try: Stop drinking caffeine at a minimum of 6 hours before bed

2) Screen Time

Staring at screens produces blue light which is actually the light spectrum most active in our sleep cycle. When we stare at screens and start this phenomena, our bodies do not naturally produce melatonin, which makes it difficult for us to “turn off” our brains and fall asleep.

Try: Stop using electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed

3) Large Meals

After a big meal, our body needs to expend energy digesting food, which typically takes several hours. During sleep, digestion naturally slows. So, when the body needs to digest and sleep, the sleep process is disturbed.

Credit to the Sleep Foundation:

Try: No large meals at least 3 hours before bed

4) Alcohol

Because of its sedative purposes, alcohol may help with falling asleep… However, people who drink before bed often experience disruptions in their sleep cycle as liver enzymes metabolize alcohol. This poor sleep quality can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness and other issues the following day.

Try: Avoid drinking alcohol 4 hours before bed

Wherever you are on your sleep journey, I hope you find this helpful in getting some more high-quality, restful sleep.