The difference between sleeping comfortably and sleeping deeply

I always judged my sleep by one thing: how fast I fell asleep.

If I was out in five minutes, I figured I must've had a great night. Didn't matter that I'd wake up still feeling exhausted.

After paying more attention, I realized I was mixing up two completely different things.

My bed was comfortable. I'd sink right into it and knock out pretty quickly. But during the night I'd wake up a few times because the room was too warm, I'd grab my phone, or I'd hear little noises outside.

I never remembered most of it the next morning, but I definitely felt it.

Once I started making small changes keeping the room cooler, putting my phone across the room, and using better curtains I noticed something weird. Falling asleep didn't happen any faster, but waking up in the morning felt completely different.

That's when it clicked.

Getting comfortable is what helps me fall asleep. Sleeping deeply is what actually makes me feel rested.

I spent years chasing the first one because it was obvious. The second one was harder to notice until I looked at how I felt the next day instead of how quickly I passed out.

Curious if anyone else has had that realization, or if you've found something that helped you stay asleep instead of just fall asleep?