8 hours of sleep required???

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veelah21
veelah21 Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been told that you need 8 hours of sleep daily in order to really lose the weight. If you workout and eat right but still dont have enough sleep then it will be hard to lose the weight. What if you automatically wake up after 5 hours, even on days off from work? I find myself waking up after 5 hours from falling asleep at night...no matter what time I go to sleep. Just wondering if I need the whole 8 hours - although I would love to try and sleep in, I just can't.

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  • EllaNovella
    EllaNovella Posts: 351
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    I've been having sleeping issues for about a month, sometimes I sleep 1 to 3 hours a night. I haven't gained weight because of it. It is easier when you're rested, though, because your body is tired and it'll get energy from food, causing you to feel more hungry... if you ignore the extra cravings you have because of it you won't gain
  • veelah21
    veelah21 Posts: 4
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    I didn't realize being tired makes you hungry. Good to know. Thank you :-)
  • shannond1980
    shannond1980 Posts: 60 Member
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    I don't think 5 hours will hinder weightloss completely, I've been dealing with restless sleep lately myself and I've still been losing weight. I think some sleep deprivation can also cause stress eventually and that can really mess with your eating habits. Also not having enough energy for workouts that you would have normally if you were getting more sleep can hinder some progress.

    I don't think there's a hard and fast rule about 8 hours of sleep but if you're chronically not getting enough sleep after awhile, that can be where that might lead to the issues above.

    If you're waking feeling rested, I wouldn't be too concerned. If you're feeling lethargic maybe look into things you're consuming (coffee/sodas ?) or doing that could be keeping you from sleeping more than 5 hours? I know sometimes for me it's just a matter of too many things going on in my life and I just can't shut the brain off to sleep! haha :)

    Good luck!
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
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    I WISH I got 8 hours of sleep regularly, but 10-11 hour workdays + 2 hour workout + 4yo daughter = ~5-6 hours of sleep on average

    luckily my job is very sedentary, so at least I can physically rest at work most days.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    I've been told that you need 8 hours of sleep daily in order to really lose the weight. If you workout and eat right but still dont have enough sleep then it will be hard to lose the weight. What if you automatically wake up after 5 hours, even on days off from work? I find myself waking up after 5 hours from falling asleep at night...no matter what time I go to sleep. Just wondering if I need the whole 8 hours - although I would love to try and sleep in, I just can't.

    Once I only slept 7 hrs and 58 min and woke up heavier
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
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    I've been told that you need 8 hours of sleep daily in order to really lose the weight. If you workout and eat right but still dont have enough sleep then it will be hard to lose the weight. What if you automatically wake up after 5 hours, even on days off from work? I find myself waking up after 5 hours from falling asleep at night...no matter what time I go to sleep. Just wondering if I need the whole 8 hours - although I would love to try and sleep in, I just can't.

    Once I only slept 7 hrs and 58 min and woke up heavier

    you probably need to eat more. The extra 2 minutes increased your tdee and now you are in starvation mode.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    OP, if you regularly sleep 5 hours after going to bed at a reasonable time and without any excessive alcohol consumption before bed and wake up without the use of an alarm clock, then i wouldn't worry about it. some bodies are wired to function on less sleep than others.

    a guy at work sleeps 4-5 hours mon-fri, but on weekends he sleeps over 8, because his body is trying to make up the missed rest.
  • HappyHag
    HappyHag Posts: 20
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    I'm a 6 hour sleeper myself. No matter what time I go to bed, I sleep 6 hours and wake up feeling ready to go. I don't believe that everybody needs 8 hours. My body certainly doesn't!
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    Its also meant to be taken with personal judgement. It is recommended that in general most humans on average need about 8 hours of sleep. Some need 4 (like most grandparents it sometimes seems) and some need 9. The point is - whatever amount equals to You, a peaceful and well rested adequate amount of sleep per night, consistently and without going tired for long stretches of time.

    Just like eating low calories a couple days in a row wont result in starvation mode, having a crazy weekend and getting a little less sleep wont cause you to gain 10 pounds.

    Could make you snacky - but think ahead and fill the house with healthy snacks for those weekends.

    Its all about common sense and comprehending your body's needs in comparison to general rules of thumb.

    :)
  • madmickie
    madmickie Posts: 221 Member
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    In order to really lose weight you need to stop eating more than you need. I would be very surprised if the amount of sleep you get has any great effect on the rate of weight loss.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    In order to really lose weight you need to stop eating more than you need. I would be very surprised if the amount of sleep you get has any great effect on the rate of weight loss.

    prepare to be surprised!

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