What factors contribute to achieving the highest quality sleep?

From the Guidelines

To achieve the highest quality sleep, establish a consistent sleep schedule, create a relaxing bedtime routine, and make your bedroom conducive to sleep, as these practices align with your body's natural circadian rhythm and promote the production of sleep-inducing hormones like melatonin, as supported by the most recent evidence from 1 and 1.

Key Factors for High-Quality Sleep

• Consistent bedtime routine, an environment conducive to sleep, and the presence of security objects, as recommended by 1
• Promote positive sleep hygiene through creating an environment conducive to sleep, engaging in stress-reducing activities before bed, and limiting daytime naps, as suggested by 1
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and heavy meals close to bedtime, and complete workouts at least 3 hours before bedtime, as generally recommended for improving sleep quality

Sleep Hygiene Practices

• Create a relaxing bedtime routine that includes dimming lights, avoiding screens 1-2 hours before bed, and engaging in calming activities like reading or gentle stretching
• Make your bedroom conducive to sleep by keeping it cool, dark, and quiet, using blackout curtains and white noise machines if needed
• Limit exposure to electronic devices and stimulating activities before bedtime, as they can interfere with sleep onset and quality, as discussed in 1

Additional Considerations

• Regular exercise improves sleep quality, but it's essential to complete workouts at a time that does not interfere with sleep, as noted in 1
• Techniques like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or meditation can help with falling asleep and improving sleep quality, as mentioned in 1 and 1

Clinical Recommendations

• The American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia in adults provides recommendations for sleep onset and maintenance insomnia, as outlined in 1
• The guideline emphasizes the importance of considering the quality of evidence, potential biases, and the relative benefit-harm ratio when making treatment decisions, as discussed in 1

From the FDA Drug Label

The FDA drug label does not answer the question.

From the Research

Factors Contributing to High-Quality Sleep

• Sleep hygiene practices, such as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, achieving 7 to 9 hours of sleep, and avoiding substances like caffeine and alcohol late in the day, can promote better quality and duration of sleep 2
• A regular bedtime routine, engaging in regular exercise, and adopting a contemplative practice can also improve sleep quality 2
• Healthy sleep habits, including maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and receiving enough sleep, are important for physical and mental health 3
• Sleep quality is superior to sleep quantity as an index for assessing sleep, and restfulness obtained through sleep is a useful index for assessing sleep quality 4

Sleep Hygiene and Lifestyle Interventions

• Sleep hygiene and lifestyle interventions, such as behavior and sleep habit modification, can help improve sleep quality 2
• Avoiding heavy meals and light exposure later in the day can also help improve sleep 2
• Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and sleep education can result in significantly improved self-reported sleep quality 5

Importance of Sleep Quality and Quantity

• Both sleep quantity and sleep quality are fundamental components of sleep, and managing them is important for health 4
• Sleep quality is associated with reduced diastolic and systolic blood pressure, and a smaller waist measurement 3
• Poor sleep quality is associated with lower average scores on the Subjective Depression Scale (SDS) and issues involving glucose or lipid absorption 3