How much sleep do you really need?

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ninerbuff
ninerbuff Posts: 48,692 Member
in Chit-Chat
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
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Replies

  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    I average 8 hours a night. Early to bed, early to rise for me.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I get between 8-10 hours most nights.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    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
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,838 Member
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    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
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
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    Ideally 10, but less is common. I try to make up with Naps, particularly if I do below 6.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,136 Member
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    6-7 hours. It's dropped 2 hours from when I was 300#+.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    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
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    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
    JustMissTracy Posts: 6,338 Member
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    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 :s
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    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
    kristikitter Posts: 602 Member
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    My ideal amount is like 10 hours' worth of sleep (I KNOW), but I get about 8 on weeknights.
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
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    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 :tongue: )
  • deputy_randolph
    deputy_randolph Posts: 940 Member
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    I function the best after 9-10 hours. I need a minimum of 7...anything less and I'm dragging for days after.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    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
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    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
    Heartisalonelyhunter Posts: 786 Member
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    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
    Misssynth Posts: 179 Member
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    Between 7 and 7.5 hours a night. Any less and I really feel it.
  • RAinWA
    RAinWA Posts: 1,980 Member
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    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
    RachelElser Posts: 1,049 Member
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    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
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    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).

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