How much sleep do you need

[wbonnell]

I'm feeling pretty chatty tonight. So much so that I looked up at my clock and realized that it's 12:13- an hour past my bedtime! Considering I have to wake up around 7am, I'm going to be a tired camper tomorrow. Less than 7 hours of sleep.... Shouldn't that be enough? How can I minimize the number of hours spent sleeping?

As it is, I spend 11 hours working (to and fro and lunch), 1 hour exercising, 3 hours with my wife and children, and 2 hours playing games or reading a book. That leaves 7 hours for sleep. The first 15 hours is not negotiable, so for every minute I take away from sleep, I can spend it doing something I enjoy. What is the secret to a healthy, sleep deprived life?

[Vince]

Well, sleep for me is at a premium. I work 40 hours a week and am a full time college student. On top of that, my job at the local pizza place routinely keeps me there until 1, 2 or even 3 o'clock in the morning. So I don't get to sleep until late. I try to schedule my classes later, but they are only offered so late in the day. I usually only get about 5 hours of sleep a night, and then twice a week (my only two days off), I'll get in a monster day of 8-10 hours of sleep.

[wbonnell]

Originally posted by Vince
Well, sleep for me is at a premium. I work 40 hours a week and am a full time college student. On top of that, my job at the local pizza place routinely keeps me there until 1, 2 or even 3 o'clock in the morning. So I don't get to sleep until late. I try to schedule my classes later, but they are only offered so late in the day. I usually only get about 5 hours of sleep a night, and then twice a week (my only two days off), I'll get in a monster day of 8-10 hours of sleep.

That's something I forgot to mention. When I was your age, I could get by on 5 hours. Now that I'm pushing 30, I find that 7 hours is the bare minimum to get me through a day of work.

[JeeberD]

Sleep is good...

[sterlingice]

Depends on if it's as much as I like or what I have to live on.

Last semester, I lived on literally 3 hours of sleep a night plus a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoons every day except weekends when I would sleep up to 12 hours.

This semester, I've been getting by quite good on 6-7 hours per night. If I'm in a lower stress environment like this semester and especially summers, that's all I need.

SI

[Kodos]

I need 8, but I usually get less than 6.

Who needs sleep?
Well you're never gonna get it!
Who needs sleep?
Tell me what's that for?
Who needs sleep?
You gotta live with what you get
Some guys have been awake since the second world war...

[Vince]

Hell yeah Barenaked Ladies. Brian Wilson is a great song as well, by them.

[astralhaze]

I need 8 hours of sleep. When I get 7 hours and when I do I feel vaguely tired all day but I am still fine. I usually get 6 hours of sleep and I feel very tired all day but am still functional anyway. If I get 5 hours of sleep I feel like the walking dead all day and stumble over my words and have a tough time with that whole comprehension deal. Anything less and I am even more useless than usual.

[DolphinFan1]

I feel good on 6 hours of sleep. I work 3rd shift and a lot of 12 hour days. I actually feel better when I work a lot of hours and less sleep. My metabolism is high, so I am pretty wound up most of the time.

[Ksyrup]

Originally posted by wbonnell
That's something I forgot to mention. When I was your age, I could get by on 5 hours. Now that I'm pushing 30, I find that 7 hours is the bare minimum to get me through a day of work.


Funny, I'm just the opposite. I regularly get 5-6 hours a night at 31, and function fine. I used to need 7-8 in college. Of course, it's probably more a function of what I can get, since back then I didn't have a child who woke me up between 7 and 7:30 every morning. I may have been able to live on less sleep back then, as well. In the 3.5 years since my daughter was born, I think I've slept past 8 about 5 times, and I always stay up until at least midnight, so that doesn't leave much time for sleep.

[Draft Dodger]

I'm a hoarder - I get anywhere from 5-7 hours during the week (work until midnight, bed at 1 or 2, up at 7 or 8).

usually, on the weekend, I'll get a day (or maybe 2) to sleep in, and I take advantage of it - 9 or 10 hours if I can swing it.

[Qwikshot]

Before my girlfriend and daughter moved in, I used to sleep 12 hours, and work 12 hours...

[Fritz]

I used to work 8 hours, sleep 4 hours, and spend the other 12 hours "with" Qwikshot's girlfriend before she moved in with him.

Now I sleep more and watch TV.

[CamEdwards]

I usually go to bed between 10 and 11 p.m. and get up between 4 and 4:30 a.m.

Of course, I usually take a nap in the afternoon.

[Easy Mac]

i go to bed about 2 and wake up at 6.30 to exercise b4 class. I don't take naps, they dont work

[wbonnell]

Originally posted by Easy Mac
i go to bed about 2 and wake up at 6.30 to exercise b4 class. I don't take naps, they dont work

And you function normally the next day? Can you sustain it?

As for naps, I think they can work. Sometimes I'll take a 2 hour nap on a weekend afternoon and feel completely refreshed. Other times, I feel groggy for a few hours. There must be a secret to napping. Perhaps I need more practice! :)

[ice4277]

I have a crazy work schedule (I guess that happens when you have three jobs) so I sleep when I can. Today, for example, I have between 11am and 5pm with not much going on, so I will probably grab 3 hours sleep or so. Most nights, though, I manage about five, including weekends. I can't seem to sleep much longer than that at a time anymore, so I tend to take a lot of naps whenever possible.

[Easy Mac]

Originally posted by wbonnell
And you function normally the next day? Can you sustain it?

As for naps, I think they can work. Sometimes I'll take a 2 hour nap on a weekend afternoon and feel completely refreshed. Other times, I feel groggy for a few hours. There must be a secret to napping. Perhaps I need more practice! :)

Yeah, I work fine, you get used to it after freshmen year.

Just drink a lot on the weekends and you'll feel refreshed. I sleep about 8 hours each day on the weekend.

And I take in a lot of caffeine, does that matter :)

[Ksyrup]

Originally posted by Easy Mac
Just drink a lot on the weekends and you'll feel refreshed.

:eek:

[McSweeny]

hmm usually to bed by 2 up at 10 so that's what 8 hours of sleep? not too bad. And yes i do agree with Easy Mac, lots of drinking on the weekend does help. Plus it gives you something to look forward to on those shitty tuesdays

[Jets80]

I go to bed every night between 10:30 and 11:00..alarm is ringing every morning at 5:30.