Experts say that most adults need around 8 hours of sleep every night. However, individual sleep needs vary, sometimes widely. This leaves us with a lot of questions. We know that we aren’t getting enough sleep because we’re tired all the time. However, we don’t know exactly how much sleep we need, and we may not know how to find out.
Many things factor in when determining how much sleep you need. Everybody has a slightly different need for sleep. Some bodies just require more rest than others! On top of that, factors like your age, how much and how often you exercise, whether your body is fighting illness or dealing with a chronic problem, whether or not you’re pregnant, and more all work to determine how much sleep you need.
Here’s the process of identifying how much sleep you need,
- Determine how much sleep you’re getting every night.
- Go to sleep 15 minutes earlier every 2-3 nights, until you’re getting at least 7 hours of sleep every night.
- When you hit 7 hours, see how you feel. If you’re tired during the day or you’re not ready to wake up when your alarm goes off, increase your bedtime by 15 more minutes.
- Continue this process until you don’t feel tired during the day anymore. You’ll probably end up somewhere between 7 and 9 hours, that would be your optimal sleeping duration.
Keep in mind that this only determines how much sleep you need right now. If something changes in your life, your sleep needs could change. Or, as you become more and more rested, you may find that you need less sleep. In this case, your body was paying back its sleep debt and has found its equilibrium again.
Signs that You’re Getting Enough Sleep
Do you feel tired during the day? Or do you drink so much caffeine in the day that you can’t fall asleep when you finally have the chance? In order to decide how much sleep, you need, it’s important to understand how your body functions and feels throughout the day.
It helps to write these things down. Note how much sleep you got, how you felt upon waking, whether you needed your alarm clock, etc. Then, keep track of how you feel during the day. Do you yawn a lot? Do you find yourself nodding off at work? Make note of anything that could pertain to your sleep.
At the end of the day, look at your journal and use it to help you decide if you’re rested or not.
If all else fails, consult your doctor or qualified physician with any questions or concerns you have regarding medical conditions, treatments, and advice.
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