Experts are using the upcoming World Sleep Day to call for better awareness of sleep health, amid a rise in the number of young people failing to get enough shut-eye.

From former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to the UK’s former leader Margaret Thatcher, the ability to survive on just a few hours of sleep has long been seen as a sign of toughness.

But these days, people are less likely to accept that poor sleep is just a part of life, with a 2023 study showing 1 in 4 young Australians weren’t satisfied with their sleep.

Of those surveyed, 30 per cent said they slept less than the recommended seven to nine hours a night and 60 per cent lacked regular sleep hours.

But apparently there’s more to getting a good night’s sleep than just the number of hours you’re snoozing.

Perth sleep technician Bree Waikawa agrees there’s more to sleep health than meets the eye.

“I guess a lot of people go to bed, go to sleep, and think that’s all they need to do but there’s actually a lot involved in getting a good night’s sleep,” she says.

“Sleep hygiene starts in the morning as well, not just before you go to bed.”

“Going to bed at the same time; having a regular bed time and regular wake time.”

In addition to regularity and duration, research from 2022 outlines another four dimensions of sleep health: timing, efficiency, alertness and satisfaction.

Ms Waikawa works for Sleep Life Australia, a Perth-based business dedicated to helping people sleep well.

Clients are given sensors to take home and attach to themselves overnight.

Her colleague, sleep scientist Jo Griffiths says sleep studies cover a range of metrics.

“We specifically look for destructive sleep apnea because that’s the most destructive disorder,” she says.

“[Sleep studies] will tell us sleep stages, oxygen levels, brain arousals, and obviously obstructive events that cause your brain to wake up.”

Forget the cliche of a snoring old man; Ms Waikawa says the types of people being referred to them are shifting.

“When we first started, it was a lot of older males that were coming but now it’s, ‘lets just screen and get everything covered’ so it’s quite a mix,” Ms Waikawa says.

“A lot of dentists are picking up on it now,” adds Ms Griffiths.

“Companies are [also] sending people to sleep studies [for medicals] so we’re capturing a bigger demographic.”

So what does Ms Griffiths recommend to improve sleep health at home?

“Cutting out alcohol, if that’s possible, caffeine no later than midday, trying to avoid screens two hours before bed, not eating too late and not having the room too hot or too cold,” she says.