How much sleep do you really need?

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  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    7 ish is about right for me. Plus an hour or so decompressing before I go to bed (usually TV).
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
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    7 hours is my magic number. Even on weekends I try to stay consistent and keep it at 7 hours (even if I can sleep in). Of course I'll sneak in the occasional power nap on weekends. :)
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    edited December 2016
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    I really need as close to 8 as I can get, but I sleep horribly. I wake up at least 3-5 times a night, and then I start thinking and it takes 10 minutes or so to get back to sleep, so I actually probably get 7 of actual sleep. If I get any less than that, I feel horrid and have no self control with my workouts or my food.

    Actually, I feel like I never really get any deep sleep. It's like I never have a full rest cycle. I'm either constantly restless or actually physically fully awake. It sucks! I take Melatonin and Valerian Root. I've even tried taking Lorazapem before bed, but nothing seems to help.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    stevencloser wrote: »
    Unless I start getting up at 6 every day even when I don't have to do *kitten* until 12, I just don't get a good sleep rhythm in.

    This happened to me when I got older. Used to have to set an alarm, now I never do, and I wake up around 5-5:30 even on the weekend.

    Same here, i'm usually up at 5am 7 days a week, 6am is a sleep in for me! This is why I'm usually sound asleep by 8:30 every night, it's a vicious circle. But even if i force myself to stay up late, 6am is the very latest i'll sleep in to. 10-15 years ago i could stay in bed til lunchtime..

    I don't mind getting up early in summer, it's 6am here right now and i'm sitting outside under the pergola with my cup of tea and it's already lovely and warm. In winter it SUCKS!
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    midwesterner85 wrote: »
    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).

    I just got an "insight" from Garmin telling me that 85% of people my age and gender have gotten more sleep than me over the past month. Still, that leaves a lot of people (15%) my age and gender with less. Then again, Garmin counts all time and rates between "Deep" or "Light" or "Awake" (yes, short periods of "Awake" are included in "sleep" time). My sleep time is at the high end of what I was thinking. For the past week (this looks to be pretty close to other weeks):

    3:37 Avg. Deep
    3:11 Avg. Light
    0:09 Avg. Awake
    6:57 Avg. Total Sleep

    I was diagnosed several years ago with obstructive sleep apnea and still use a CPAP despite not having had a checkup for more than 1 year and no sleep study for about 2 years. After I lose a few more lbs., I want to go back and see if the weight loss has resolved the apnea. It would be nice if I could eliminate the CPAP. I've never been so bad that it was dangerous not to use it (i.e. I was never going to die without it), but it has always helped me to have better sleep... more time in that "Deep" category, I suppose. When I get to goal weight, I'll look forward to having an updated sleep study.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    drawaimfire wrote: »
    Hi,

    Since my late teens, I am golden on 5.5-6.5 hours a night. Anything 7+ and I usually get headaches and feel spacey. Under 5 and I am OK for a few days but try to catch back up to the 5-6 range. If diet and exercise are on track I can go that way for awhile, if two out of three gets derailed, then I am in trouble. Proper nutrition fuels me and workouts make me drop into a great sleep that night. I tend to have a surplus of energy so if I don't expend it, I have fitful sleeps. I fall asleep easily, which is new, but I no longer have a snoring husband so that might be why. I also do not need to use an alarm, unless I have had to take medicine for a cold or upset stomach (Nyquil/Gravol knocks me down hard)

    I don't mind caffeine but am pretty hyper all on my own and I don't want my co-workers to mutiny so I try to not drink it too often on work days :-) I make it, walk around with it, and then end up tossing most of it once its cold lol

    It kind of blows my mind how long some people are sleeping, but maybe they would think the same of those of us who sleep less?

    Have you ever thought of decaf?
  • Just_J_Now
    Just_J_Now Posts: 9,551 Member
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    I consider myself lucky if I get 5. 6 is ideal for me but that hardly ever happens. #insomniaisabitch
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,841 Member
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    I get 4-6 on the regular. Sucks but I am used to it.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    For some reason I must have some sort of aging sleep demon.. Went back and looked at my sleep average and its actually 5 to 5 1/2 and 6 hours is actually miracle.

    I believe that if I ever get 7-8 hours again in my life time, it might make me feel like crap..
  • stephmph16
    stephmph16 Posts: 114 Member
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    I'm ok on 7-7.5. I need one cup of coffee in the morning, that's it as far as stimulants. I can't nap during the day or else I'm groggy, and anything more than 9 hours and I feel like I'm hungover.
  • drawaimfire
    drawaimfire Posts: 83 Member
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    snowflake954 wrote: »
    drawaimfire wrote: »
    Hi,

    Since my late teens, I am golden on 5.5-6.5 hours a night. Anything 7+ and I usually get headaches and feel spacey. Under 5 and I am OK for a few days but try to catch back up to the 5-6 range. If diet and exercise are on track I can go that way for awhile, if two out of three gets derailed, then I am in trouble. Proper nutrition fuels me and workouts make me drop into a great sleep that night. I tend to have a surplus of energy so if I don't expend it, I have fitful sleeps. I fall asleep easily, which is new, but I no longer have a snoring husband so that might be why. I also do not need to use an alarm, unless I have had to take medicine for a cold or upset stomach (Nyquil/Gravol knocks me down hard)

    I don't mind caffeine but am pretty hyper all on my own and I don't want my co-workers to mutiny so I try to not drink it too often on work days :-) I make it, walk around with it, and then end up tossing most of it once its cold lol

    It kind of blows my mind how long some people are sleeping, but maybe they would think the same of those of us who sleep less?

    Have you ever thought of decaf?

    Lol, yes but at work, where the coffee is free, they do not stock it :-( I have tried a few places outside work but I like coffee black so decaf can be frustratingly hit or miss and I don't like to pay good money for bad coffee.
  • _BrewingAZ_
    _BrewingAZ_ Posts: 252 Member
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    Because I get up early for work, and tend not to be able to crawl in bed until later at night, I get maybe 5 to 6 a night. On weekends, I tend to make up for it and rack up like 8 to 10 LOL
  • PowerMan40
    PowerMan40 Posts: 766 Member
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    I function not by choise, on 3 to 4 hours of sleep, oh not all at one time either...
  • PowerMan40
    PowerMan40 Posts: 766 Member
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    happilymegan wrote: »
    I average 4-6. I feel good.

    The other 3 hours a night everyone else is a sleep, we should get together a Play D&D
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    edited December 2016
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    I use melatonin to fall asleep since I was let go from a good job 3 years ago. Back then, prior, I slept for about 5 hours and drank coffee because I liked it. Now, with help falling asleep, I sleep for about 5 hours and drink coffee because I like it. I'm 50+
  • Motorsheen
    Motorsheen Posts: 20,492 Member
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    Sleep?

    I shoot for 13 to 15 hours a day.
  • PowerMan40
    PowerMan40 Posts: 766 Member
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    happilymegan wrote: »
    PowerMan40 wrote: »
    happilymegan wrote: »
    I average 4-6. I feel good.

    The other 3 hours a night everyone else is a sleep, we should get together a Play D&D

    Do you mean Dungeons & Dragons? I'm more of a Warcraft girl.

    I can do Warcraft too..
  • Karb_Kween
    Karb_Kween Posts: 2,681 Member
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    I usually sleep for 5 and nap during the day for 2

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