Sleep - How Much?

[Garden_girl]

I had my annual physical a while ago. The nurse was on the computer typing and my Dr. was asking questions. I must have looked tired because he asked me how much sleep I get every night. I said 6 and 1/2 hours, usually. They both looked at me like I'd done something disgusting.... like spit on their shoes. Seriously, their mouths dropped open, they were shocked and suddenly, I was embarrassed! :icon_redface:

He said that's not nearly enough sleep. I said 'well...I go to bed at that same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning & I wake up before the alarm goes off, so it must be enough.'

I must admit I am a very heavy sleeper, it's almost like I'm in a *passed out* state, I never remember my dreams, either. I've always just figured it's *quality* sleep.

There was a fire in our apt. complex when we first got married, I never heard the fire trucks, my husband had to shake me to wake me up! On another occasion, a tree fell on our house, crashing into the roof and I never heard that either, because I was sleeping. I have more frightening stories like these. :lol:

Does everyone get 8 hours of sleep every night? I am somewhat of a night owl and an early bird, too.

 

[ardeagold]

Nope...Six is normal for me too.

"They" say that we need 8 -10 every night. If I sleep 7+, every bone in my body hurts, plus my head is pounding.

I definitely do not feel better with 8 hrs of sleep.

 

[twright1231]

I aim to get eight hours, but sadly, I usually don't. I've read recent studies about sleep (and they are probably not new news) that indicate inadequate amount of sleep leads to all kinds of issues like weight gain, depression, stress, etc., etc.

I've also discovered that I grind my teeth at night, which doesn't help. Then add night sweats, and waking up every two hours, and many nights (or mornings, rather), I'm a sorry mess. When I get my eight I feel so much better. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm not 25 anymore.

 

[RiverTheNewf]

I need between 7 and 9. Less than 7 or more than 9 and I get an awful headache and I feel like crap. But I'm also a firm believer in naps My husband functions best on 6-7 hours, and just fine on 5.

 

[Garden_girl]

Oh, thank God, there are people like me! Everyone in my family gets at least 8 hours of sleep, I was beginning to feel freakish, lol!

 

[twright1231]

I LOVE a good nap when I can steal one! And with sleeping poorly, I usually need one.

 

[ardeagold]

Oh I forgot...if I get more than 7, I'm dragging all day long. I can function fine on 5 too...but 6 is my magic number.

 

[Garden_girl]

I've read recent studies about sleep (and they are probably not new news) that indicate inadequate amount of sleep leads to all kinds of issues like weight gain, depression, stress, etc., etc.

That's interesting, I don't have any weight gain issues, but stress, yes. My job is very stressful, as I imagine a lot of jobs are these days, but I never thought of it in terms of sleep.

I am WIDE AWAKE at 10 PM usually (much more than at 7 AM) and I need to read for a couple of hours or watch TV before I go to bed.

I do like naps but never have the opportunity to take them and I worry that I won't be able to sleep when I do go to bed. And that's another thing, lol, you get in bed and can't fall asleep, then you worry that you can't fall asleep, so you don't! Makes me nuts! :lol:

Oh I forgot...if I get more than 7, I'm dragging all day long.

Same here - I am dragging all day!

 

[twright1231]

And that's another thing, lol, you get in bed and can't fall asleep, then you worry that you can't fall asleep, so you don't!

How about waking up before the alarm, too early to get up, but laying there and can't fall back to sleep because I'm afraid I won't hear the alarm! Crazy :uhoh2:

 

[ardeagold]

That's interesting, I don't have any weight gain issues, but stress, yes. My job is very stressful, as I imagine a lot of jobs are these days, but I never thought of it in terms of sleep.

I am WIDE AWAKE at 10 PM usually (much more than at 7 AM) and I need to read for a couple of hours or watch TV before I go to bed.

I do like naps but never have the opportunity to take them and I worry that I won't be able to sleep when I do go to bed. And that's another thing, lol, you get in bed and can't fall asleep, then you worry that you can't fall asleep, so you don't! Makes me nuts! :lol:



Same here - I am dragging all day!

Sounds like you're more nocturnal...like I am. I don't care what time I get up in the morning, at night, I'm WIDE awake. I'm not awake in the morning no matter how much sleep I get.

I don't even wake up until noon...even if I get up at 6 am. LOL

 

[lapage24]

I believe that every person has their own biorhythm and will require different amounts of sleep, food, interaction, sunlight, stimulation, etc. Just because the doctor and nurse are one way doesn't mean it has to be so for the rest of human creation.

My pet peeve is the belief that everyone should be all bright and shiny in the morning. Not everyone is a morning person. There's actually a reason for those of us who prefer to stay up until 3 or 4am and then sleep until noon. While we (humans) were sleeping in caves and huts, the night owls would be the people awake at 3am to hear the noises of those predators that might be closing in or whatever other harmful things could happen during the night. If there's always someone conscious and alert throughout the night, it lessens the chances of dying to a predator or having your babies dragged off by a predator in the night. I hate that we're all made to conform to an 8 to 5 kind of schedule. /end soapbox

 

[Angela]

About 7 hrs but I wake up every 2 hours which is a bad habit but Gracie and I have a snack and then we go back to sleep again till the next snack. I don't have a weight issue but she is beginning to have one:lol:
I'm a morning person and struggle to stay awake past 11pm.

 

[Garden_girl]

Yes Donna, that's exactly how I am. I go to bed between 11:30 and 12 and get up somewhere around 6 AM, because I have to. If I could, I would stay up later. I have to do those things like read or watch TV to wind down so I can sleep.

Lol, believe me, Lauren, I am not bright and sunny in the morning, I used to never utter a word to anyone for at least an hour after I get up. I am better about that now, BUT I absolutely hate it when I get to work because all of the people in my office are so darned chatty in the morning, asking questions about what I did last night, etc. I hate to sound like a grump, so I try to make it up to them by being extra pleasant later in the day when I feel more like talking.

Angela, I couldn't do that - get up every two hours!

 

[KodysGrandma]

When I was working 6.5 hours was about it and I seemed to function fine although 7 was better. At 6 I am a zombie and I find that contrary to standard info I seem to need more as I get older, not less. However, I sleep about 1/4 inch under the surface so wake up multiple times a night, roughly every 2 hours. Dogs up on bed, dogs down off bed, dogs wants out, I get up, DH gets up, neighbor comes home, the least thing wakes me up. The only times I can remember sleeping through the night were when I was traveling and there was only me to be concerned about in the room. Basically a morning person, if I don't do it by 1 or so it's really a battle. For instance we headed to the grocery today about 5:30, home just after 8 and it's been a real battle to get dinner and stuff put away. I'm off the bed.

 

[Windancer]

Take a couple of Benedryl....you will fall asleep shortly...no morning hangover.

 

[ardeagold]

People think I'm nuts because I'm an "all night night owl". I'm going to bed when a lot of people here are getting up. I head upstairs between 2:30-4am...then feed cats (they're nocturnal too LOL), take Frankie out, clean litter boxes, clean up cat bathroom a bit (it's the guest bathroom if we have a guest...otherwise it's ALL theirs hahaha), freshen dog water bowl, freshen cat water bowl, then take a bath...and then I'm ready to settle down to......read. ha

Rarely can I go to sleep before it's getting light outside...usually around 6 am. Then I sleep until noon.

It works for us...Jacques gets up early and does his thing with the dogs, etc., I get up later and take over. He usually does take a nap in the afternoons...and goes to bed earlier than I do, although it's still around 1 am. He needs 8 hrs of sleep a day, and only gets about 6-7 so makes up for it with the nap.

When I had to get up at 7 am for work, I was asleep by about 2 am. I don't remember the last time I went to bed before 2 am.

PS...Lauren...I agree with you. I feel that there should be 24 hr companies...so we night owls can work on our schedule. Just think of how much more productive we'd be. :lol: And I'm a very light sleeper now too. I used to sleep like the dead...not any more. I hear every thing that goes on in this house. But..I could NOT do what you do Angela. I'd never get back to sleep.

 

[Abbey]

The older I get, The less I can sleep. Now I take melatonin and get 5 hours sleep before I need to get up and go pee. I am a VERY light sleeper......everything wakes me up!

 

[sendchocolate]

I have always, always been a night owl. I function best sleeping from 3 a.m. to 11 a.m. but that's not very practical. So I usually go to bed after 1, often close to 2, and get up about 8:30 to feed Poppy, then go back to sleep until almost 10 a.m. My older kids sleep in to about then, my youngest gets up and gets herself food. Poppy wakes between 9:15 and 10 and is raring to go. She has digested her breakfast and ready to go for a walk and to the park.

I am a very heavy sleeper...if anything goes on I am probably dead to it. My husband usually takes Poppy out first in the morning. She has been known to put her feet on the bed and lick my ears, and I never even stir. That's usually around 7:30 a.m. Sometimes, he even feeds her in the morning, but I usually stumble out to do that. The morning walk is always mine; my husband either heads to work, or works from home, but at that time of the morning he is working.

I hate mornings. I am part of the Mourning Club, mourning the fact that I have to get up in the morning. My family swears I am part vampire, because I am very light-sensitive. Poppy at least got me motivated to enter daylight, though. :neener:

 

[YorkvilleNewfie]

I need between 7 and 9 hours, like River's mama. With an infant that wakes twice a night, my sleep needs and sleep reality rarely ever intersect anymore. Mainly because I don't go to bed early enough anymore because once the baby is down for the night, I can finally get some me time in, so I stay up later than I used to. Unfortunatly, I've always been an early riser and a morning person (staying up past 9:30-10pm is very difficult for me), so is Rowan, so if I'm able to sleep past 5:30 in the morning, it's darn near miraculous

I wish 5 or 6 hours were enough for me though, I'd get so much more done during the day, so bravo to all of you that get by fine on less sleep!

 

[victoria1140]

I usually get 5-6 hours sleep a night, usually it gets broken up by having to let one of the dogs out.

I do take a nap if possible when I need one though