Understanding Sleep Wellness and the Impact on Your Health

We all know that sleep is important. But most of us still treat it like a luxury—something we squeeze in after work, stress, screens, and everything else life throws our way. Here’s the truth: you can’t outwork, out-train, or out-supplement poor sleep.

Sleep doesn’t just impact how rested you feel—it influences nearly every other domain of wellness, from how your body heals to how clearly you think. And yet, when we look across all age groups—from high school students to adults over 70—the data shows that sleep problems are far more common than you’d expect.

What Does Symmio’s Sleep Wellness Score Actually Mean?

Symmio’s Sleep Wellness Score uses an evidence-based questionnaire—the same kind used in clinical and wellness settings—to give you a snapshot of your sleep quality over the past month. A lower score? That’s a red flag. It means you're likely struggling with poor sleep that may be affecting your daily life, productivity, and long-term health.

To build this score, Symmio evaluates:

• Subjective sleep quality

• Time it takes to fall asleep (sleep latency)

• Sleep duration

• Sleep efficiency

• Nighttime disturbances

• Use of medications

• Daytime energy and function

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Together, these markers help differentiate someone who gets truly restorative sleep… from someone who’s just getting by.

Why Sleep Isn’t Just One Category of Wellness—It Affects All of Them

Sleep is deeply intertwined with your physical and mental health. It’s a major driver of energy levels, brain performance, pain perception, immune function, hormone balance, and emotional regulation.

If you’re not sleeping well, you might also be:

• More likely to get injured.Studies show sleep deprivation reduces reaction time, endurance, accuracy, and even submaximal strength.

• Struggling with chronic pain.Over half of people with insomnia also deal with chronic pain, creating a vicious cycle where one feeds the other.

• Dealing with larger health issues.Poor sleep is associated with depression, anxiety, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

  
  

And here’s a wake-up call: nearly 3 out of 4 high schoolers and over one-third of adults under 44 aren’t getting enough sleep.

Small Fixes, Big Impact

Before you splurge on a $10,000 mattress or another bottle of melatonin, focus on these simple behavior changes:

• Stick to a consistent bedtime and wake-up time—even on weekends

• Avoid heavy meals and alcohol before bed

• Limit screen time in the hour before sleep

• Get regular physical activity

• Track your sleep with a wearable to gain insights

• Create a wind-down routine to signal your body it’s time to rest

  
  

Better sleep hygiene doesn’t require perfection—it just requires consistency.

Takeaway

Sleep is the foundation of your health. It’s not just another checkbox in your wellness plan—it’s the reset switch that your brain and body rely on every single night. With Symmio’s Sleep Wellness Score, you don’t have to guess. You’ll know exactly where you stand—and what you can do next.