To think that actually most adults need more than the recommended 7-8 hours sleep a night?

[Arrowfanatic]

I can cope fairly well on minimal sleep, having 3 no sleeping kids helped with that. But I tend to find if I can get 9-10 hours that's when I'm best refreshed.

I know advice is 7-8 hours for adults (and that lie ins are not recommended, that's it better to keep the exact same bedtimes & waking times), but I also know 7 hours just feels like I've not slept enough.

My children all live happily and energetically on around 5 hours a night. They're 10, 8 & 7.

So, who are these adults that are full of beans on 7-8 hours?

It depends really for me. I get up at 6am in the week and go to bed at different times - some nights I'm in bed by 9, other times 10, sometimes it's gone midnight.

My 6yo DS doesn't seem to need as much sleep as is recommended for his age. He goes to bed at 8pm in the week and is always up at 6. Yesterday it was gone 9 before he went to sleep and was still up at 6.30. We're both very active as well as I don't own a car so we have to walk everywhere.

I feel appalling if I sleep for more than about 8 hours, and function best on 6-7. I used to feel quite smug about needing less sleep than most people until I had DS and discover that I cope really, really badly with broken sleep, far worse than most people seem to. I think I must fall very fast into deep sleep.

Oh yes, I much prefer a good 9-10 hours. With work I'm doing well to get 7-8. I do think though I need the longer sleep to compensate for the shorter sleep in the week.

I think the problem is no one follows their completely natural sleeping pattern. I think if I did, I'd sleep more in winter and much less in summer.

8 is ideal for me. I'd have trouble sleeping for more than about 8.5 tbh, even if I was particularly tired or sleep-deprived. If I go to bed earlier I just wake up earlier, and as long as it's at least 6am or so, I have no desire to go back to sleep once I've woken up.

I think I'd work ideally with a long siesta about 2:30/3pm. I feel exhausted at that time. If I go to bed and have 2-3 hours, and then go to bed at 1am I can get up at 7am feeling great.

If I don't get that sleep, I generally get a second wind about 8:30pm and find it difficult to sleep at 11pm.

If I have a really long deep sleep, then I'll often get a migraine when I wake, but I will feel better for a few days.

I think 7-8 hours is just about right. If I stay in bed longer, it feels as if I'm wasting my life.

8-9 hours is perfect for me. I can cope on six but I'm tired and grumpy by the end of the day. I don't like sleeping in too late so a 10pm bedtime for a 7am wake-up seems to work for me.

I have a fit bit so monitor my sleep.

If I have 8 hours I wake up feeling great and the weight just falls off me.

I usually get about 5 hours. 6 if I am lucky.
The menopause has given me raging insomnia
Been ill recently and didn’t sleep for 4 nights in the past week.

Feel dreadful.

I have only slept 8hours + twice since August 2018

I slept for over 20 hrs once, after getting snowed in at an airport and being awake for two days.

I need 9 - 10 hrs to feel really good.

About 9 is perfect for me, can survive on 6 for a day or two but then I get depressed.

My sleeping needs vary:
When I exercise I only need 6-7hrs.
If I've been out drinking I need about 9hrs.
When the clocks change and we have lighter evenings and mornings I only need about 5-6hrs.
Oh after a night shift my sleep pattern is just messed up for ages.

I work long shifts and after it I usually sleep 9/10 hours. If I'm off or on holiday I feel fine after 7 hours

The thing I find hard is the lack of ability to catch up by lying in. Before kids I’d do fine in 6 hours sleep during the week but I’d lie in until at least 10 on a Saturday. I’m longing for the teenage years when my children just want to sleep so I can too. It’ll be amazing (I hope) or I’ll have kids that need to get up at 5 for swimming or something just to bugger that plan up.

Oh fab @UndertheCedartree, hope you enjoy it! There’s some fascinating stuff in there.

I have 9 hours most nights 11-7. In the baby/toddler years I found I could survive on four hours but it was really just surviving and I wasn’t doing the kind of mental problem solving I do at work. I would be definitely groggy and short tempered if I was regularly on only 6-7.

If left to sleep undisturbed I will sleep for 12 hours or more. I have been that way since I was a teenager and am in my 30s now. I can, and do, survive on far less but am always tired.

I’m more concerned about your kids not having enough sleep than you needing too much.

Really, 5 hours? How on earth do they concentrate at school? Have you ever sought professional help or spoken to your GP about it?

I'm perimenopausal, so anything over 4 hours is a bonus!

9-10 is what I need to feel energetic the next day. 7-8 and I'm a grumpy mare. I'm early 40s with teens so all of us need lots and it works out. They deprived me of course in my 20s /30s but then I had the extra energy to deal with it.

I need about ten hours. I'm a crap sleeper tho and usually get 4-5 at the moment

I function fine and don't look too knackered usually

@ActualHornist FOMO? What exactly do you think your missing out on?

6 hours is enough for me. I've never needed more and can function on less.

I definitely needed 9 hours when the kids were small but 8 is fine now.

DH needs 6. He gets annoyed if he sleeps any longer as he thinks it's a waste of time! I on the other hand could easily sleep for 10 hours a night, but since DD arrives I've surprised myself by managing on much less.

I feel very tired on anything less than 8 hours. I need more sleep than my husband and 9-10 is ideal