Sleep Satisfaction
Everyone can have good and bad nights, it does not make us eternally good or bad sleepers!
Sleep satisfaction is dependent on several factors:
Gender: Women, as well as gender and sexual minority individuals, have been found to experience lower sleep satisfaction.
Socioeconomic status: Individuals with access to more resources have higher sleep satisfaction.
Stressors: For example, being a member of a racialized group who experiences discrimination is associated with lower sleep satisfaction.
Physical and mental health: If we have a generally positive mood, are functioning well physically and our psychological needs are all met, we’re more likely to report being satisfied with our sleep. On the other hand, we’re more likely to report worse sleep satisfaction if we experience things that impact our physical and mental health like fatigue, pain, and chronic health problems, as well menopause, childbirth and breastfeeding.
Life satisfaction: Being satisfied with life and work is linked with higher sleep satisfaction, while high workloads and being exposed to environmental hazards or toxicants are associated with reduced sleep satisfaction.
Sleep environment: Having a comfortable bed and bedroom, as well as sleeping in a quiet and dark place have been linked with higher sleep satisfaction. Excessive exposure to screens in bed has also been linked to poorer sleep satisfaction.
Interpersonal relationships: Positive social networks and close supportive relationships are associated with higher sleep satisfaction, whereas factors such as interpersonal strife are linked with lower sleep satisfaction.
Health-promoting behaviors: Being physically active, eating healthy foods, and being on hormone replacement therapy for menopause have all been linked with higher sleep satisfaction, while drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco have been associated with reduced sleep satisfaction.
Recommendations on how to manage sleep satisfaction:
Avoid comparisons and keep realistic expectations: Different people have different sleep profiles. The key point here is how satisfied YOU are with your own sleep based on how refreshed you feel after waking up. It may take us 20-40 minutes to get rid of your morning grogginess, a normal phenomenon called sleep inertia. This does not mean we had a bad sleep.
Work on what we can change: Some of the factors influencing sleep satisfaction in the list above can be changed proactively. For example, improving our diet and exercise, deploying stress management strategies, nurturing positive relationships, and, if possible, creating a favorable sleep environment (comfortable bedding; reducing noise, light) could have positive effects on sleep satisfaction.
Accept what we cannot change: Many of us struggle with sleep difficulties and are less than satisfied with our sleep. When we struggle with sleep, it’s also common to blame ourselves or be frustrated with ourselves for being unable to acquire the rest we need, when in reality, there are many factors outside of ourselves that impact our sleep. In addition to working on what we can change, practicing self-compassion when sleep difficulties arise has been linked with higher sleep satisfaction.
Know when to seek help: If you are experiencing difficulties falling or staying asleep that affect your ability to function during the day and that persist for over a month, it may be a sign that you have insomnia disorder. If this is the case, the recommended first line treatment, even before taking sleeping pills, is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).
Learn more about CBT-I treatment here