Sleep, a powerful ally for health
25 November 2025
Today we have with us in the studio Professor Francesco Fanfulla, President of AIMS – the Italian Association of Sleep Medicine. With him, we’ll be exploring another key topic in the field of Wellness: sleep. In previous episodes, we talked about what Wellness is and we explored two of its pillars—physical activity and healthy nutrition. Today, we begin to delve into the third area of the Wellness Lifestyle Pyramid, and in particular, we’ll be discussing sleep. Why can we consider sleep a powerful ally for our health?
Absolutely. Sleep is a fundamental component of our lives. Our existence is made up of two states: wakefulness and sleep. And although we tend to think of sleep as a state in which nothing happens, in reality countless biological functions take place during this time. One of the most important is the organization of memory processes. We have plenty of studies showing that when we lose sleep, or when our sleep is very unstable, the first effect we notice is a deficit in short-term memory. We struggle to recall what we learned, did, or carried out the previous day. Another key point is that sleep is essential for our immune processes. Chronic sleep deprivation makes us more prone to catching colds, bronchitis, pharyngitis… and for some people even pneumonia and more severe illnesses.
Now that we understand why sleep is so important for our health, could you help us understand how many hours of sleep we actually need and how this requirement changes with age?
The need for sleep varies with age. We require a lot of sleep in the early stages of life, and then it gradually decreases over time. Our teenagers, who often suffer from chronic sleep deprivation, need at least 10 hours of sleep, yet they usually get only about 7 to 8 hours. In older adults, around 7 hours is generally recommended and considered physiological, because sleep in the elderly tends to become more fragmented—they wake up more often during the night, wake up earlier in the morning, and try to make up for the lost hours with afternoon naps.
Regardless of age, there is a minimum number of essential hours of sleep that everyone should dedicate to rest.
Alright, the theory is clear. However, in everyday life, it’s often not easy to give sleep the attention it deserves, both in terms of quantity and quality. Many of us experience sleep disturbances and don’t know where to start to improve this essential aspect of our health. What strategies can we adopt to enhance the quality of our sleep?
We need to distinguish between behavior and pathology. Here, we are not talking about pathology, but about behavior. Sleep requires preparation, so the idea that we can engage in activities in the evening just as we do during the day is not ideal. For example, intense physical activity should be avoided after dinner, as well as prolonged use of electronic devices emitting blue light. Video games should also be avoided because they stimulate neural activity, which can delay the natural process of falling asleep.
Excellent. But what happens when these strategies don’t work? What is the boundary between common sleep disturbances, which can be managed with lifestyle changes, and more serious issues that require the intervention of sleep specialists? When can we talk about chronic insomnia, and what exactly is Sleep Medicine?
Chronic insomnia is a condition that affects about 10% of the Italian population and is considered a disorder of both sleep and wakefulness. It can manifest as a pronounced difficulty in falling asleep, highly fragmented sleep, or waking up much earlier than desired. This involves not only the quantity of sleep but also a second, equally important aspect: daytime symptoms such as irritability, difficulty concentrating, dissatisfaction with sleep, and challenges in interpersonal relationships—with family, colleagues, or friends. People often experience a general sense of malaise, memory deficits, and daytime sleepiness. There are also other common conditions that can present with similar symptoms, such as nighttime awakenings. For example, sleep apnea involves breathing difficulties during sleep, drops in blood oxygen levels, and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Thank you very much, Professor Fanfulla, for explaining how sleep is indeed a powerful ally for our health and well-being. Before we say goodbye, what is your final piece of advice for a good night’s rest?
Read a book in the evening, listen to good music—perhaps on Radio Cortina—and push away negative thoughts before turning off the lights!
