HOW MUCH SLEEP DO YOU REALLY NEED…
Catching Some ZZZ'sss
How much sleep do we REALLY need.., I mean REALLY need -- not want, or covet.., but actually need… There are all kinds of guidelines about the amount of sleep we "need" from the time we are an infant, until we lie down for that big last sleep. And for the average adult "they" say anywhere from 7-9 hours is required, with the optimal amount being in the 8-8.5 range…
First-off, let me start by saying.., I like to sleep just as much as the next guy -- a good ol'snooze fest, from time to time. But usually, it is some government paid agency or "health department" that are coming up with these guidelines.
Does anyone remember the "Food Chart" -- Yeah, they threw that out the window… Or how about the government telling the whole world -- "the air is fine to breath" on the days and months to follow 9/11… My problem with these "guidelines" is that it's the same machine, the same body of people, that keep lying to me over and over…
So why the heck would I believe anything they say.., never mind, how much sleep I need!
In an effort of full disclosure.., I myself, get about 5 hours a night. And there have been periods of my life where I got even less on a regular basis… I have never been one of those people that just LOVES to sleep -- gets 10-11 hours.., not my style.
The Internal Body Clock
Our internal body clock works on two completely different systems -- Homeostasis, which balances out our sleepiness and alertness. And our Circadian biological clock, which regulates the time of day we feel sleepy or more alert… It all goes back to -- feeling more awake during the light hours and sleepy during the dark hours.
Makes sense, right..? Awake during the day, asleep at night.
Too bad, most of my adult life has not followed that guideline… And yet, Im still alive.., and full of energy. I sleep just fine. Being a bartender for so many years, my internal body clock is totally out of whack. And guess what, a lot of people work at night and cannot abide by these mass guidelines…
They say the most regenerative time of sleep is before midnight.., somewhere between 10pm and 2am -- the body can repair itself… I must say, I have rarely found myself asleep by midnight -- that's usually when Im getting my second wind! It's all about the quality of sleep, to me… There are supposedly 5 stages of sleep.., and from what I understand the first 4 are bullshit -- it's all about that 5th stage, that good REM sleep.
There were a few years in Los Angeles when I was bartending.., I started doing quite a bit of yoga -- class was at 9am. I got home from work anywhere between 3-4am.., and would usually get about 4 hours of sleep and then go straight to yoga class. When I started taking a yoga teacher training program, I got even less sleep -- about 3 hours per night.
I can tell you for a fact.., those times when I was getting less sleep (granted I was meditating at least twice a day), I was at the top of my game -- never felt better! And I attribute it to the meditation… Even though I was getting less actual hours, under the covers -- all the meditating was enhancing my REM sleep. And REM sleep just so happens to take place in the wee-hours of the morning (3-7am) -- usually when I would be getting to sleep.
Today, most people are getting closer to six hours of sleep.., meaning (according to "their" guidelines) we are living amongst a bunch of sleep deprived people (zombies). Mass guidelines like "how much sleep we need" are HOOEY… Sleep is a personal, individual thing -- to everyone. So many factors can go into a, good nights sleep.., to put a number on it seems a little presumptuous.
Listen To Your Body
Someone with a manual labor job (heavy lifting) might need more than someone who sits at a desk all day. What is your diet like… Did you eat something heavy late at night… Any particular problems weighing on your mind… All kinds of things go into determining whether you will have a good, restful and restorative nights sleep.., besides the number of hours.
And to be honest.., nobody knows your body better than you… Especially, not the chump making up those "guidelines." You know when you are pushing yourself too hard -- your body tells you… Life doesn't always follow a simple little guidebook, sometimes you will be in situations where you just an't get 7-9 hours of that "required" sleep.., and that's okay. The human body is an amazing thing.., and can adapt to the most unusual schedules when it has too… Being aware of the other things like diet, exercise, nice comfy sleeping area, maybe some aromatherapy.., and some meditation.
Sleep deprivation is a real thing.., and can wreak havoc on your health (make you a little cranky, too)… But if you can find a good balance, supply are body, mind and soul with as many of the things it needs to regenerate an repair itself.., aide it in it's quest for a restful slumber -- maybe that 7-9 hours of required sleep, doesn't have to be so written in stone… And squeezing in a good nap never killed anyone!
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Great post 👍!
My very atypical schedule is such that I work 3rd shift 10+ hours a night for 7 days, then 7 days off work. Full time paying gig with 2 weeks of work squeezed into seven days.
As a result I've had jet lag literally ever single week for over 14 years...
And I wouldn't change a thing! 😀
As humans, we adapt to our circumstances.
There have been times where I've been so tired (not many, but a few), where I'll take a short nap (12 minutes or so), and as soon as I close my eyes, BANG! I'm dreaming; feels like I've slept for a couple hours when I wake up.
When I know I 'need' a nap 😴 I'll tell my friends
"Give me 15 minutes, I need to trip out for a bit."
What else are dreams? Perhaps endogenously released DMT...?
15 minutes later, right as rain, the evening continues full on.
Have a great week everyone!
Gotta love those naps... Even a short one 10-15 minutes can fix you right up!
Very interesting read... I am not convinced we really understand sleep all that well. I usually turn in around 12:30 or 1:00am and get woken up by our kitten around 6:45 to 7:00 and that works pretty well.
I think it was Nikola Tesla who allegedly never slept more than 2-3 hours per night but would "power nap" several times during the day, but all of it adding up to no more than 5 hours per 24 hour period. I also seem to recall reading that some agrarian people's of times gone by would work their farms till dark, go to sleep, then get back UP around 11pm and do some indoor and household chores, before going back to "second sleep" until getting up for a new day.
It's a very different thing, to many different people... Im a big fan of the -- nap.., even 15 minutes. All you really need are a good 20 really deep breathes.., and instead of a quick caffeine buzz, you actually have started to re-energize your body...
Thanks @denmarkguy!
Very interesting. I have a very weird sleep rhythm that works very well for me: I sleep about 5 hours at night and about 3 hours during the day. I did once read that there was scientific support that this can be a good sleep rhythm and that the only hard part when doing it, is that society expects you to be awake during the day :).
Sounds good to me -- Cheers!
Hard to fall asleep because a million of better things I could do instead of laying flat but the moment I sleep I can go on forever. Wait a min, unless something very special is expecting me....Watching Dolphins at sunrise or some kind of ceremony at the beach, an awesome breakfast with my Lover. Sleep is essential for regenerating my sucked out energy and it all depends how much needs to be refilled. Some days are so rocking awesome that the quote is more than accurate " You can sleep enough when you are dead "
PS : why do you always transfer Steem to @blocktrades?
Gute Nacht. Time to sleep
This link fits to your previous post about strong women and how they feel sometimes but it also goes here since I forgot to add one point : GET ENOUGH Sleep when you feel down :
https://steemit.com/life/@mammasitta/feeling-lonely-get-up-go-and-have-the-day-you-deserve
Hard to follow a "guideline..."
That's the way I live life #norules if possible . Follow your instincts and needs
I usually sleep in two 3-4 hour blocks. That's better for me and I notice that my sleep is darn good during those short blocks. Time seems to go by super slow for some reason.
It's so different, for so many people...
I sleep because I take Clonazepam, so I don't know anything about these cycles.
That works!
Congrats, @macksby! The post is clear and makes the subject interesting for me.
Thanks @corvuscoraxx... Glad you liked it!
If I sleep a little, I feel bad.
Too little.., can get to the best of us... :))
Interesting post.
CHEERS!
Thank you:)
You have to test on how your body acts and what is the best timetable for the sleep.
I used to sleep 5h, 6, 6,5h, and now I sleep 7 hours per night.
I realised that 7h is the best for me at the moment. And indeed sleeping before midnight makes a great difference.
I used to go to sleep after 12:00 PM a lot of times when I was a student. Now I go to sleep around 10. It's a very big difference in how rested I feel, even thought I sleep the same amount of time.
That's interesting, how you can feel the difference when going to sleep before midnight... You do what works for you -- your body. Thanks @sstefan