The Real Reasons You’re Still Exhausted After Sleeping 8 Hours, According to an Expert
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Sleep a full eight hours and still feel sleepy? Sleep experts say it’s not just about how much sleep you get.
Dr. Wendy Troxel, a licensed clinical psychologist and RAND senior behavioral scientist based in Utah, emphasized the “really important distinction” between sleep quantity and quality.
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“A lot of people will say, ‘Man, I’m getting enough sleep, I got seven to eight hours of sleep, but I still wake up feeling groggy and not refreshed,'” she told News Digital during an in-studio interview. “Approximately one in three adults has non-restorative quality sleep.”
The quality of your sleep could leave you feeling groggy, despite how many hours you’ve slept, one expert said. (iStock)
“There are many factors that can contribute to poor sleep quality, regardless of how many hours you slept,” Troxel noted.
These include drinking alcohol, a “major contributor” to poor quality or disruption of sleep, and consuming caffeine at the end of the day.
Being stressed or worried about something can also contribute to fragmented sleep, as can phone use at bedtime.
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Troxel addressed the belief that women need more sleep than men, noting that research does support it, if only slightly, an extra 10 to 15 minutes a night.
“What we absolutely know is that women’s sleep quality is often more affected than men’s,” she said. “They may be getting a more non-restorative quality of sleep and therefore need to sleep a little more.”
Women are also twice as likely to suffer from insomnia as men, and their risk of sleep disturbances “skyrockets” during the menopausal transition.
According to the expert, women suffer from poorer sleep quality than men. (iStock)
For those who say they sleep better on less sleep (and feel sleepier when they get the recommended seven to nine hours), Troxel said this is not an indicator that they actually need less sleep. “It’s just that your body is not used to it,” he said.
Laboratory studies have shown that lack of sleep causes impaired judgment, according to the expert. “That means that someone who thinks they are fine with only four hours of sleep a night is probably not aware of the impact that lack of sleep has on their cognition and performance.”
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For those who consume less than the recommended amount, Troxel recommends taking small steps to sleep longer. That might mean adding about 15 minutes each night to see how it affects the body and eventually achieving a healthier circadian rhythm.
“You’re likely to see benefits when you increase your sleep in small increments,” he said.
The expert recommends adding a few extra minutes of sleep each night to achieve a longer rest. (iStock)
Tips to sleep better
According to experts, quality sleep depends on following a healthy lifestyle and a consistent sleep-wake schedule.
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Eating a nutritious diet free of foods that cause stomach upset or indigestion, especially late at night, can help improve sleep quality, Troxel shared.
“You don’t want to starve yourself at bedtime, but you also don’t want to try to fall asleep on a full stomach while your body is still actively digesting,” he said.
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Exercise helps promote quality sleep, just as sleep also improves the quality of exercise. However, it’s best to avoid intense physical activity too close to bedtime, Troxel advised.
“Exercise is very stimulating, especially if done in a social setting, and that can disrupt sleep,” he said. “Exercising earlier in the day is better.”
“Those who are natural early risers are more likely to benefit from exercising earlier,” Troxel said. (iStock)
That doesn’t have to mean exercising first thing in the morning, Troxel noted, since not everyone has a circadian rhythm that allows them to wake up early to exercise.
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“Those who are natural early risers are more likely to benefit from exercising earlier,” he said. “If you’re a night owl, don’t expect to like to exercise first thing in the morning. That may not be consistent with your circadian rhythm.”
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Troxel added that people should not “be sleep-shamed” for adhering to their own internal clocks.
“These cultural trends have subtle, or not-so-subtle, ways of undermining people’s sleep-wake biology, which is largely out of our control,” he said.
Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle reporter for News Digital.