Sleep well to live better!
24 March 2026
Today we spoke by phone with Professor Francesco Fanfulla, Head of Sleep Medicine at the IRCCS Maugeri in Pavia, and we are delighted to talk with him about sleep.
Today we spoke by phone with Professor Francesco Fanfulla, Head of Sleep Medicine at IRCCS Maugeri in Pavia, and we are pleased to welcome him to talk about sleep. Good morning, Professor, and welcome.
Today we are discussing an important topic: sleep, a key pillar of long-term well-being. It was also the final broad topic addressed in your recent Wellness Lab. But why do we describe it as such a powerful ally for our health?
Sleep is an essential component of health, but we could go even further and say that it is an essential component of life itself. There is no life without sleep, and no sleep without life: it is a fundamental part of what it means to be a complex living organism. Every animal sleeps.
Sleep is the time when our body carries out a whole range of vital functions, including memory processes, rest and recovery, and the clearing of toxins that build up during the day. It is also a time when the systems that are highly active while we are awake are allowed to rest as well — such as the sympathetic nervous system, cardiac activity, and so on. The deeper the sleep, the more these systems can recover and prepare to face the day ahead.
Let us start right here, Professor, with a question that may seem simple but is actually extremely important: on average, how many hours of sleep do we need each night, and how much do they really matter compared with sleep quality?
Speaking in general terms, we tend to consider seven to eight hours as an acceptable average. Of course, this figure depends on two key factors: first, age; and second, each individual’s characteristics — there are what we call “short sleepers” and “long sleepers.” That said, below six hours of sleep per night, the body begins to suffer. But paradoxically, sleeping too much can also be a warning sign: consistently sleeping more than ten hours a night — not at the weekend, when people may be trying to catch up — may indicate that something is not right.
So duration is important, but there is a second parameter that is just as relevant: regularity. Very recent studies show that we should keep our sleep schedule as stable as possible, with night-to-night variations of no more than one hour. If we manage to maintain that consistency, sleep is able to deliver all of its benefits. By contrast, marked irregularity may expose a person to a higher risk of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and metabolic diseases, among others.
Still talking about sleep quality: what influences it? Are there factors that have a greater impact than others? For example, when it comes to work, can stress play an important role?
Absolutely. We should go to bed keeping away everything that disturbed us during the day. Conditions such as stress, overload, or excessive fatigue all have a clearly negative effect on sleep quality. The same goes for alcohol consumption, coffee, or heavy meals in the evening, shortly before bedtime. These are all situations that lead to poor-quality sleep. On top of that, exposure to electronic devices — smartphones, video games, social media — keeps the brain overly active in the evening hours, which also contributes to low-quality sleep.
Does the environment in which we sleep play an important role? For example, what about temperature: sleeping in conditions that are too cold or too hot — what advice can we give?
As usual, extremes are always situations that do not favor sleep. In general, a bedroom temperature between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius — 21 at most — is clearly ideal, and we are talking about the room temperature, not the bed itself. Excess heat prevents the body from cooling down properly and does not prepare it for sleep. Our body begins to get ready for sleep at dusk: it’s not a switch that turns on and off, but a gradual process. So anything that warms the body, as well as excessive light or noise in the bedroom, should be avoided. The same goes for coffee: a question I am often asked by patients is when to stop drinking it. Beyond individual variability, it is advisable to stop at least four hours before bedtime. For regular consumers of three to four cups a day, the window may extend to eight hours; otherwise, the risk is shorter, fragmented, and less restorative sleep — which then leads to increased caffeine consumption the following day, creating a vicious cycle that never ends.
Professor, let’s wrap up this segment on sleep as an ally for our health with three simple recommendations for truly restorative sleep.
Go to bed relaxed. Take the evening time to focus on yourself — a bit of introspection, some personal reflection. Turn everything off at a time that feels right for you, spend a little time talking with family, read a book, listen to music. Then, at the hour you find most suitable, turn off the lights.
Many thanks to Professor Francesco Fanfulla, Head of Sleep Medicine at the Maugeri Institute in Pavia. We will return soon to talk more about health and well-being. Thanks also to the Wellness Foundation and the projects it carries out for our physical and mental wellness. Thank you, and good evening!
Thank you all. Good evening!
