Recent Blog Articles
Prostate cancer in transgender women
Why eat lower on the seafood chain?
Can long COVID affect the gut?
When replenishing fluids, does milk beat water?
Safe, joyful movement for people of all weights
Slowing down racing thoughts
Are women turning to cannabis for menopause symptom relief?
3 ways to create community and counter loneliness
Helping children make friends: What parents can do
Can electrical brain stimulation boost attention, memory, and more?
Staying Healthy
What’s keeping you from getting a good night’s sleep?
- By Heidi Godman, Executive Editor, Harvard Health Letter
Identify your sleep "interrupters" with this list of potential offenders.
Remember when you could crawl into bed at night and sleep straight through until the morning? Now you wake up several times each night, wondering if you’ll ever slumber for long stretches again. This change in sleep habits, called sleep fragmentation, is a natural part of aging, and generally nothing to worry about if you can still get seven to nine hours of nightly shut-eye — the sweet spot for optimum health.
"The concern comes when sleep fragmentation regularly reduces how many hours you sleep each night or keeps you from waking up and feeling refreshed. In that case, something else is probably contributing to the problem, and we need to identify it and treat it," says Dr. Suzanne Bertisch, clinical director of Behavioral Sleep Medicine at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
About the Author
Heidi Godman, Executive Editor, Harvard Health Letter
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
You might also be interested in…
Improving Sleep: A guide to a good night's rest
When you wake up in the morning, are you refreshed and ready to go, or groggy and grumpy? For many people, the second scenario is all too common. Improving Sleep: A guide to a good night's rest describes the latest in sleep research, including information about the numerous health conditions and medications that can interfere with normal sleep, as well as prescription and over-the-counter medications used to treat sleep disorders. Most importantly, you’ll learn what you can do to get the sleep you need for optimal health, safety, and well-being.
Featured Content
- General ways to improve sleep
- Breathing disorders in sleep
- When to seek help
- The benefits of good sleep
Free Healthbeat Signup
Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!
