Poll: How much sleep do you need?

[Chaotic42]

In general if I get fewer than 10 hours per night, I'm cranky. I'll usually sleep 12-20 on Friday night and 12-14 on Saturday night. I've been like this all my life. It sucks.

How about you?

 

[Platypus]

If I get less than 6 I will basically be miserable and likely get a crushing migraine... but typically I try to aim for 8 so I can be a functioning member of society.

 

[Miramonti]

I've learned to function ok on 7, while 8-9.5 is an optimal refresh. I've always been envious of those who can regularly feel refreshed by any less than 6-7.

Less than 6 hours sleep and I can become vulnerable to some wicked health issues, the less sleep, the more vulnerable

 

[Ns1]

I function off 6, I would love 10. I generally get 5-6.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

I'm fine with 7, that's about my average, can function perfectly well on 6 and never get more than 8 hours. Even if I have no reason to get up and nothing disturbs me I just can't sleep more than 8.

In my teens and 20's I used to be able to sleep 12 hours easily and could barely crawl out of bed on less than 7.

 

[Chaotic42]

I'm fine with 7, that's about my average, can function perfectly well on 6 and never get more than 8 hours. Even if I have no reason to get up and nothing disturbs me I just can't sleep more than 8.

In my teens and 20's I used to be able to sleep 12 hours easily and could barely crawl out of bed on less than 7.

I'm jealous. If nothing wakes me up I can easily sleep 24 or more. Usually after 16 or so, I start getting those dreams where I try to wake up but am trapped in the dream.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Are you depressed or sick? That sounds pretty unusual.

But I was just thinking about this today. I've been trying to get myself on a steady sleep schedule, but I'm not positive how many hours is ideal. I used to sleep an even 8 hours every night. Maybe up to 9 if I was really tired from missing sleep the night before. But that's been very gradually decreasing as I get older. I think it's now around 7:20, possibly now as little as 7 hours.

Too much and I'm up an extra couple of hours and my sleep schedule is wrecked. Too little and I crash and burn late in the early evening and it's everything I can do keep from napping. To somehow stick to a schedule I've been forcing myself off the computer at least an hour before I plan on turning the light out, and reading for most of that time.

 

[Chaotic42]

Are you depressed or sick? That sounds pretty unusual.

But I was just thinking about this today. I've been trying to get myself on a steady sleep schedule, but I'm not positive how many hours is ideal. I used to sleep an even 8 hours every night. Maybe up to 9 if I was really tired from missing sleep the night before. But that's been very gradually decreasing as I get older. I think it's now around 7:20, possibly now as little as 7 hours.

Too much and I'm up an extra couple of hours and my sleep schedule is wrecked. Too little and I crash and burn late in the early evening and it's everything I can do keep from napping. To somehow stick to a schedule I've been forcing myself off the computer at least an hour before I plan on turning the light out, and reading for most of that time.

I've been like this since I was a kid. I've got really bad restless leg syndrome, and the meds help, but I still don't get very good sleep. If I don't get a long sleep on the weekend, I start to get the standard sleep deprivation symptoms. Cranky, can't concentrate, I'm basically a mess. This usually means I only get one decent day on a given weekend.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Is that your only medical issue? Diabetes?

 

[Chaotic42]

Is that your only medical issue? Diabetes?

Restless leg syndrome
Diabetes
Heart disease
Heart attack at 26
Super low good cholesterol (over all around 180)
Damaged knees

I'm broken

 

[pete6032]

9 is what I shoot for. It's a massive drain on my social life to do so.

 

[PottedMeat]

<4 delirious
4-5 almost functional
5-6 functional
6-7 pretty good

 

[DeathReborn]

5-6 is typical but I can function just as well with 2-3 hours twice a day (Navy Sleep).

 

[Hinda65]

I wake up at 6:00 in the morning no matter what time I go to bed...so weeknights I get about 8hrs and weekends about 5-6. I wish I could sleep in later but my internal clock wont let me,

 

[mnewsham]

i've been doing a steady 2-7am sleep routine for a few weeks now.

 

[Brainonska511]

If I don't hit at least 7.5 hours, I'll feel tired, especially if I go a couple days in a row with under that amount. I prefer at least 8-9 hours though.

 

[John Connor]

Sometimes 15.

 

[SKORPI0]

5 -6 hours weekdays. Almost 8 hours weekends.

 

[Chaotic42]

Damn, some of you people are magical. If I could get by with 6 or 7 hours of sleep I could get a lot of stuff done.

 

[pcgeek11]

I find it hard to go longer than 6 - 7 tops. 6 is my target, but sometimes I will take another hour.

 

[Bubbleawsome]

I can survive fine on 5 but my poor grades reflect that that isn't a good idea. I need a good 10-12 to be at my best.

 

[BoomerD]

Jeezus...I don't think I've ever slept more than 8 hours in my life...ever.......well, OK, maybe a couple of times many years ago, but as a rule, even though I'm now retired and can sleep when I want to, I generally only sleep 5-6 hours at a time...but I MIGHT sneak in an hour of nap time during the afternoon once in a while...
For most of my working career, 5-6 hours was my normal night's sleep...once in a great while, I'd get 7 hours, more often, 4 hours had to suffice.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I picked 8-9 but the time I have to get up matters more than how much time I get. If I get up before 12pm I'll be tired, does not matter what time I went to bed. But typically if I can get at least 8 hours I'm way better off than if I get less. No matter what time I have to get up I need to set an alarm though, or I'll sleep way more than 8 naturally. 12+ easily.

 

[TheGardener]

I really don't function well on less than 4 hours. Insomnia is the pits. With 6-7 hours I'm in the zone. When I can, I'll do 7-8.

 

[brianmanahan]

5.5 hours during the week, 6.5 hours on the weekend