How important is sleep exactly? I get around 4 to 6 hours of sleep a day.

clocast

There's been a study that people that sleep more tend to lose more weight. I've been having troubles sleeping and If this study is true I definitely want to sleep more.

Need2Exerc1se

Sleep is necessary. We would die without it.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/why

Physical Health

Sleep plays an important role in your physical health. For example, sleep is involved in healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels. Ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.

Sleep deficiency also increases the risk of obesity. For example, one study of teenagers showed that with each hour of sleep lost, the odds of becoming obese went up. Sleep deficiency increases the risk of obesity in other age groups as well.

Sleep helps maintain a healthy balance of the hormones that make you feel hungry (ghrelin) or full (leptin). When you don't get enough sleep, your level of ghrelin goes up and your level of leptin goes down. This makes you feel hungrier than when you're well-rested.

Sleep also affects how your body reacts to insulin, the hormone that controls your blood glucose (sugar) level. Sleep deficiency results in a higher than normal blood sugar level, which may increase your risk for diabetes.

Sleep also supports healthy growth and development. Deep sleep triggers the body to release the hormone that promotes normal growth in children and teens. This hormone also boosts muscle mass and helps repair cells and tissues in children, teens, and adults. Sleep also plays a role in puberty and fertility.

Your immune system relies on sleep to stay healthy. This system defends your body against foreign or harmful substances. Ongoing sleep deficiency can change the way in which your immune system responds. For example, if you're sleep deficient, you may have trouble fighting common infections.

ForecasterJason

I tend to think the importance of sufficient sleep (not just quantity but quality as well) is underrated. Sleep and longevity go hand in hand (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4067693/ ). IMO, I don't think simply eating a balanced diet and exercising is enough to compensate for anyone not getting enough sleep.

xXxWhitneyxXx

If I dont get between 7-9 not only do I feel bad during the day but I am beyond cranky, makes me pretty hard to deal with. Same goes for anything over 10 hours .. I feel like a slug and get cranky too lol

moe0303

I'm interested in this myself. I have found that when I get consistent sleep, I feel better. My sleeping patterns used to vary widely. I would get 7 hours one night, 4 the next, 8, then 5, etc. I always felt tired. Then I started getting 6 hours consistently and felt a lot better even though I think I'm sleeping a little bit less.

Disclaimer: All this is based on my own experience and doesn't account for other things going on in my life which may have had an affect as well.

Francl27

I've always wondered at which point though you're better off getting up than sleeping an extra hour... diminishing returns, if you will.

But yeah, I need my sleep. 7-8 hours. Or I'm cranky and hungrier.

lemurcat12

Consistent sleep (6 hours or around that) makes me feel so much better. I've been struggling with consistently getting less than 4 (sometimes only a couple) which is really a problem, I know.

DorkothyParker

The Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours, with 6 being "okay" for some people. Quality matters.
If you are not meeting this recommendation, I think it's wise to look into behaviors or situations that would prevent this.

Not getting enough sleep makes me want the short high of sugar (with that awful low!) so I would be more inclined to make bad food choices with less sleep.

Then again, that wily "Sleep Foundation" obviously has a pro-sleep agenda. I suspect it's run by Lizard People, trying to catch us off guard.

tomteboda

I reached my heaviest weight when I was sleeping 20 hours a day thanks to heart inflammation (hooray lupus). Oddly enough you can actually sleep too much, cutting into your daily activity to a level that makes eating too much easy despite limited hours in which to eat.

Francl27

tomteboda wrote: »

I reached my heaviest weight when I was sleeping 20 hours a day thanks to heart inflammation (hooray lupus). Oddly enough you can actually sleep too much, cutting into your daily activity to a level that makes eating too much easy despite limited hours in which to eat.

Yes exactly, that's why I wonder what the diminishing return point is, lol. I often wonder in the morning when I've slept 7 hours if I'm better off getting up or going back to sleep for a bit...

yesimpson

I need a consistent 8 hours a night, 9 if I'm training a lot. I can get by on 7-7.5 for a few days in a row but I start to notice I'm a bit grumpier, a bit lazier, and my stamina falls.

Francl27

It depends a lot on what time of your cycle you wake up too though... I slept 8 hours last night and I'm SO TIRED because my kids woke me up this morning at the worst time.

ilex70

7 hours is great.

5-6 hours, I can deal.

3-4 hours? Just go away.

Christine_72

I feel best on 8-10 hours. I very much struggle to keep my appetite under control if I had a crappy sleep the night before.
It's like my body needs extra energy, and it can only get it from extra food...

rhtexasgal

I used to be one of those 8-10 hours a day people. However, at my goal weight with a good diet and exercise, my sleep habits have changed. I operate ok with 6 hours of sleep but my optimal is 7-8 ... just a slight shift. If I get over 8 hours now, unless I am sick, I feel hung over and it takes me a while to get over my funk.

DearestWinter

I feel best with between 7 and 9 hours. Sleep deprivation is not pretty on me.