Sleep quality

• Enough actual sleep. Time in bed is not the same as time asleep. Make room for sleep where life allows. [2]
• Fewer disruptions and a steady rhythm. Notice repeated waking, when you sleep and whether you keep broadly regular times. A sleep disorder can disturb sleep even if the clock says seven hours. [1]
• How you function by day. Repeated sleepiness, irritability or concentration trouble tells you more than a single tracker number; keep a short record to discuss if it persists. [3]

The AASM position statement considers duration, quality, timing, regularity and untreated sleep disorders together. It is not a diagnostic score or an insomnia treatment guideline. [1]

The AASM and Sleep Research Society recommend adults aged 18–60 sleep at least seven hours regularly. That is a population guide; personal needs differ, including during illness or recovery. Seven hours in bed is not seven hours asleep, and repeated waking or breathing pauses can still leave you unrefreshed. Do not keep extending time in bed indefinitely or dismiss daytime symptoms just because a tracker shows a number above seven. [2][1]

Repeated night waking, taking a long time to fall asleep, early waking without returning to sleep and feeling unrested are useful descriptions. Daytime difficulty concentrating, irritability or drowsiness makes the impact more concrete. Record schedule, waking, caffeine and any loud snoring or gasping reported by someone else. These clues do not diagnose insomnia or apnoea, but help determine which question to ask a clinician. [3]

Start by protecting enough time for sleep, waking at a consistent time, winding down and making your room quiet, dark and comfortable. Examine late caffeine and alcohol; try daytime exercise that suits your health. Work or caring duties can limit what is realistic, so choose one change to test rather than measuring every minute. Habits may remove barriers, but are not a full treatment for chronic insomnia. The separate complaint-focused page on poor sleep explains care options. [3]

See a clinician for persistent unrefreshing sleep or recurring insomnia that disrupts daily life, particularly when self-care does not help. Report snoring with interrupted breathing, waking gasping or severe daytime sleepiness; do not drive if you feel sleepy. An assessment can distinguish too little sleep opportunity from insomnia or another sleep disorder. A supplement marketed as a sleep-quality booster does not replace diagnosis, and sedating products can affect driving. [3] [1]