Opinions
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
When you’re struggling to drop off, or if you’re battling the demands of work and home life, you can find yourself wondering how much sleep you can get away with. Is it ok to have just four or five hours or must you get a solid eight or nine hours every night?
If you’re suffering from insomnia, or just the demands of a newborn baby, you may be wondering – how much sleep do you need?
How Much Sleep Do You Need on Average?
This is a difficult question to answer as the amount of sleep a person needs depends on a lot of different factors like age, health and lifestyle.
Many people think staying up through the night to get work finished or to meet a deadline means they are being more productive but the science shows the opposite is true.
Without enough sleep, you are sluggish and impaired which means you work slower and make more mistakes. So, next time you’re struggling on a project, take yourself to bed and get some sleep. You’ll wake up refreshed and more creative – producing better work in the long run!
There is also a difference between the amount of sleep you actually need and the amount that is recommended for you to work at your best. While you can survive on fewer hours sleep, that is only a short-term solution and you should aim to get the optimum amount.
You might be able to carry on with only six or seven hours sleep for a few days but over time this will take its toll and you should be spending more time resting.
Some inherited factors like your genes can also affect how many hours of sleep you need to function at your best.
www.thesleepjudge.com
