Sleep Tight

Whatever you grew up believing, we now know there’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to the number of hours of sleep we need – everyone is different, and these days, it’s all about quality over quantity. The only problem with using quality as a metric is that it can be hard to define. How can you tell whether your sleep was good or bad?

According to the experts, there’s one simple marker we can (and should) be paying attention to when we’re struggling with our sleep quality: sleep consolidation.

While it may sound technical, sleep consolidation simply refers to the amount of time you spend in bed asleep as opposed to lying awake or tossing and turning. This includes the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep, as well as how many times you wake up throughout the night.

But why is sleep consolidation such a useful metric? And what’s the secret to improving yours if you struggle with frequent wake-ups? We asked Theresa Schnorbach, Emma’s sleep scientist to explain. 

What is sleep consolidation?  

The idea behind the sleep consolidation metric is to decrease the amount of time you spend in bed trying to sleep. 

In this way, it’s almost in direct contradiction to ‘traditional’ sleep advice, which suggests going to bed early and sleeping for seven to nine hours. Instead of lying in bed trying to achieve this amount of sleep, sleep consolidation is all about doing what’s right for your body and only going to bed when you’re actually ready to fall asleep.

Why is sleep consolidation important? 

While spending less time in bed may seem like a strange way to improve your sleep, trying to improve your sleep consolidation can make a big difference to your sleep health.

By building your sleep drive before you get into bed, your body will be in a better position to rest when you do eventually turn off the lights, making it easier for you to fall asleep in the first place and reducing the chances that you’ll wake up during the night.

This is important because it prevents disruptions to your sleep architecture – aka the sleep cycles and phases you pass through during an average night’s sleep.

“Our sleep is composed of a series of so-called sleep cycles during which the brain moves through different sleep stages,” Schnorbach explains. “We usually cycle through the sleep stages on average four to six times per night, with one cycle lasting approximately 90 minutes.”

How to improve your sleep consolidation 

An empty bed

1. Avoid your bed until you feel sleepy

This might sound obvious, but the best way to improve your sleep consolidation is to reduce the amount of time you spend in bed when you’re not feeling sleepy.

You should make sure to maintain a consistent wake time (this helps your body’s sleep/wake cycle to regulate your melatonin/cortisol balance so you feel awake at the right times) but you may have to sacrifice the consistency of your bedtimes at first.

Over time, however, you’ll get into a routine and be able to reap the benefits of your improved sleep consolidation. “With improved sleep consolidation your body ‘learns’ to associate your bed with sleep, making it easier for you to fall asleep and get great quality rest,” Schnorbach adds.

2. Limit napping

It may seem obvious but avoiding any daytime naps – especially towards the late afternoon or early evening – will increase your sleep drive, reducing the chance of you waking up during the night and disrupting your sleep architecture in the process.

If you really feel like you need a nap, make sure to keep it under 30 minutes; this will allow you to reap the benefits of a mid-day kip without affecting how well you sleep at night.

3. Follow good sleep hygiene

“It’s important to follow the basics of good sleep hygiene,” Schnorbach says. “Sleep hygiene refers to a set of behavioural and environmental recommendations used to promote sleep.”

She continues: “These steps can be simple things like reading a book or taking a bath before bed, ensuring the bedroom is dark and not too warm, and avoiding disruptors like caffeine and blue light.”