How much sleep do you really need?

ninerbuff

According to expert panels from the National Sleep Foundation, the average adult functions better with at least 7 hours of sleep.
I know lots of people who get less, along with a lot of my clients. Many insist that they are fine with 6 hours of sleep, yet are dependent on caffeine and are tired much of the time.
So how do you fair? I get 7 hours or more of sleep a day.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

queenliz99

I average 8 hours a night. Early to bed, early to rise for me.

Christine_72

I get between 8-10 hours most nights.

nutmegoreo

Ideally? Eight hours. As the hours decrease, so does my functionality. Unfortunately, getting to sleep has never been easy. Thank heavens for caffeinated tea.

AnnPT77

I do best on 8 or even more. I usually get 5.5 to 6.5. But that's pretty much because I'm an idiot: I'm retired, can do pretty much what I wish, but keep staying up late even when I need to get up early (I'm typing this at 1:37AM - LOL!). It works even less well at my age (61).

tomteboda

Ideally 10, but less is common. I try to make up with Naps, particularly if I do below 6.

zyxst

6-7 hours. It's dropped 2 hours from when I was 300#+.

msf74

I function best on a minimum of 6 hours (but that necessitates being in bed for another 30 minute to an hour before that to let myself unwind and drift off to sleep.)

trigden1991

I get between 7.5-8.5 hours every night but still love caffeine. A few nights with less aren't an issue but 3-4 in a row and I start to feel the effects on my energy/strength/focus.

JustMissTracy

I can function on 5-6, but I'm not the most productive, and my workouts tend to fail....Optimal for me would be 7-8 hours, but that's rare. At the worst of a chronic sinus infection, I'm lucky to get 3 hours

amusedmonkey

I function best at 7 -8 hours. I'm tired but functional if I sleep less, and very tired with no energy at all if I sleep more, for some reason.

kristikitter

My ideal amount is like 10 hours' worth of sleep (I KNOW), but I get about 8 on weeknights.

ladyreva78

I need 8 or you can just about trash me. More when my iron starts getting low again (usually a pretty good indication I need to go in for another infusion )

deputy_randolph

I function the best after 9-10 hours. I need a minimum of 7...anything less and I'm dragging for days after.

lemurcat12

I get 5-6 normally and function fine. I was routinely running on 4-5 for a long time and thought I was fine, but feel better with a little more in a lot of ways. For a while I was routinely getting less than 4 and then I could tell it was a problem.

I've read that lots of people think they are fine with 6 or less but when they get more they perceive improvement in lots of ways (especially athletic and mood). I have noticed that I run better (feels easier at a faster speed) when I get more sleep, so I think I should try sleeping more sometimes but I just can't figure out how it would be workable -- I like to get up early but can't make myself go to bed super early and I get home pretty late so don't eat dinner until late.

snowflake954

I get on average 7 hours, more than 8, and I get a spliting headache. I'm 61 and don't have trouble getting to sleep--thank you melatonin.

Heartisalonelyhunter

About 6 hours average but I have a baby so that's a luxury compared to the 4-5 I was getting a few months ago.

Misssynth

Between 7 and 7.5 hours a night. Any less and I really feel it.

RAinWA

I would love to get 7-8 but I'm functioning on 3-4 right now and have been for several weeks. Vacation time is coming and I plan on sleeping for most of it.

RachelElser

8 ish, I go to bed around 11, play on my kindle for a bit, then get up at 7/7:30. Ideally I could sleep for 12 or 13 hours.......if my *kitten* cats would leave me be!

T1DCarnivoreRunner

How much I need depends on a lot of other factors. When I have high BG's, even for a short period of time (such as spikes from carbs), I tend to need much more sleep. I also feel exhausted if I have an electrolyte imbalance. There are some other symptoms, and this usually happens in the summer when exercising and sweating too much.

On occasion, once or twice per year if I can make the time off from work, I'll do a road trip. In order to maximize time, I'll drive at night to a new area and then see / do stuff during the day. I plan the trip out very thoroughly with destinations, travel time, etc. down to the minute. As I get tired, I'll pull off somewhere safe and sleep for a few hours here and there rather than lose a whole night by staying in a hotel room. Sleep is the first thing I can adjust if something doesn't work out on schedule. So if I scheduled 5 hrs. and 34 min., let's say, and I saved 20 min. by having shorter stops or hiking at a faster pace than planned, then I can sleep for 5 hrs. 54 min. instead. Or if something took longer, then I can reduce sleep time to get back on schedule.

When I do road trips, I'll usually catch up on sleep when I get home - after 7-11 days. I know some say it isn't possible to "catch up" on sleep, but I actually do really well with this schedule. In fact, I do the same thing to a lesser extent normally anyway. I'll "catch up" on sleep every few weeks on a weekend day. Otherwise, I'll typically get 5-7 hrs. of sleep during the week and 4-5 hrs. on a "typical" weekend (unless using that weekend for catch-up).

SingRunTing

I normally get 8 hours (10pm-6am). But right now I've been having a hard time on less than 9, but I'm pregnant.

cwolfman13

I have a 4 and 6 y.o...my eldest does fine, but my youngest has never been a good sleeper...so we aren't either. Between the two of them, I don't think my wife and I have had a good nights sleep in about 6 years...

Packerjohn

I lay down at 10 PM, asleep in maybe 30 seconds, up at 4:10 AM, so just a bit more than 6 hours. I don't use caffeine.

jemhh

I do well on about 7.5 hours. I have a bad habit of staying up late reading so I don't get that much sleep during the week often but then I get a bit more than that on the weekend.

I used to need 8.5 hours but it seems to have declined a bit as I aged. When I was in college I was crazy strict about getting my 8.5 hours. I can remember living in a 2 person dorm room and climbing into bed in the middle of the TV show ER to go to sleep while my roommate and her friends watched TV a few feet away.

peaceout_aly

ninerbuff wrote: »

According to expert panels from the National Sleep Foundation, the average adult functions better with at least 7 hours of sleep.
I know lots of people who get less, along with a lot of my clients. Many insist that they are fine with 6 hours of sleep, yet are dependent on caffeine and are tired much of the time.
So how do you fair? I get 7 hours or more of sleep a day.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I usually get 5-6 hours and am tired and run on coffee 90% of the time. LOL

J72FIT

Always shoot for at least 8, most of the time get 7 and every now and then between 5 and 6...

Cylphin60

I get 3-5 hours a night. I've had all the tests done, no sleep apnea or other apparent issues, low coffee intake yada yada. 8 hours a night is a fantasy for me lol. On rare occasion, if I'm awake more than 18 hours, I'll actually sleep for 6 or so. I catch a nap here and there, but it's not the same as uninterrupted sleep.

laur357

8.5-9.5 hours is my sweet spot. Longer leaves me lethargic and with a headache. Waking up naturally helps too (without an alarm), and I'm 100% not a morning person.

Sadly, it's usually 5-7 hours during the week. Lots of coffee, perpetually sleepy, sometime cranky. If I go to the gym before work, I have to wake up at 5:15 AM. Getting home at 6:00 PM doesn't leave much time to get *kitten* done if I try to go to bed at 9:00 in an attempt to hit 8 hours.

kschwab0203

I usually get 8 hours. I can function on 7, but anything less I'm dragging and not focused.

WickedPineapple

I try to get a minimum of 7.5 hours, but no more than 9. Since I've struggled with insomnia, I put a priority on sleep. When I don't get enough or quality sleep, everything suffers. I'm moodier, tend to not exercise, eat poorly, etc.