Do you think you can function on four hours of sleep? What about if you got four hours for two nights? What if you only got four hours of sleep every night for a week -- do you think you could function normally then?
The answer for almost all of us is no. Most of us need about six to eight hours of sleep a night -- the exact number is different for each us. While we may claim that we can function on five or so hours of sleep, the truth of the matter is that if you're only getting five hours of sleep each night, you are very, very sleep deprived.
Unless, of course, you find out you are aren't. An article in the Wall Street Journal is one of many that have recently discussed a group of people called either "super sleepers" or "short sleepers" -- people who actually need fewer than six hours of sleep each night. True short sleepers not only can function normally on this amount of sleep, but they also generally wake up naturally after about four or five hours. While many people claim or wish that they were in this population, only 1 percent to 3 percent of people are actually short sleepers.
Researchers think that this ability to function on such little sleep is likely a genetic anomaly (sorry, you can't teach yourself to be a short sleeper), and the differences don't end with the amount of sleep needed:
It seems sort of unfair that these short sleepers can sleep for so little time and actually have more energy than those of us who need six to eight hours every night. But this ability is very rare -- in fact, the researcher mentioned in the Wall Street Journal article said that he had only identified about 20 actual short sleepers. Just as you don't hear about people who drink, smoke and eat poorly living to the ripe old age of 100 very often, you don't hear about too many people who live like vampires and escape the ravages of that lifestyle. Those who claim they "get by" on very little sleep are likely fooling themselves, but their bodies won't fool them for too long. Eventually, that lack of sleep will show up somewhere in the way they look or feel (or both). And ultimately, their health will suffer.
If you really think you might be a short sleeper, consider one of the questions the researchers used to identify members of this group of sleeping elite: If you have the chance to sleep longer on weekends or vacation, do you still only sleep five hours a night?
If you sleep seven or eight hours when you can, chances are high you aren't a short sleeper -- and you really need those seven or eight hours every night of the week as well.
Sweet dreams,
Michael J. Breus, Ph.D.
The Sleep Doctor™
www.thesleepdoctor.com
"Everything you do, you do better with a good night's sleep"™
Twitter: @thesleepdoctor
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7 is the magic number here.
~ when I sleep 8 hrs I am exhausted the next day (like not getting enough) and end up dragging through the day
~ when I sleep 5 or 6 hrs I may be a little tired but I am able to function throughout the day and if I can get a 30 min power nap midday or after work I wake fully refreshed and able to work much better; but have a heck of a time falling asleep later
~ when I sleep 4 hours I am good until mid afternoon then I drag.
Trying to figure out which time works best for me and then learn to stick with it.
Same goes with "super tasters". Put the word "super" behind it, and everyone claims to be one.
There's a difference between "super sleepers" and people who sleep odd hours, have insomnia, etc.
For instance, I'm posting this at near 3am. I'll be asleep soon, then wake again at 5am-6am.
I can't sleep past 5am on most days.If I'm in bed before midnight, I'll wake a few minutes before 5a. If I'm up till 3 or 4a, i'll sleep in an extra hour sometimes. I make it up with 20min naps here and there throughout the week I sleep less on weekends. I just have odd sleep habits. Nothing super about it.
Most "insomniacs", when under observation, tend to sleep at least as much as the population @ large, often longer. They just don't realize it. The sleep is made up somewhere along the line during the week. Oft times the people don't realize it. They'll zone out during TV shows, or while reading. The sleep studies that uncovered (and continue to uncover) these facts about insomniacs, led to a sharp reduction of the use of the more potent sedative/hypnotics.
Up at 5am CST. Fed & walked 2 dogs and made breakfast. Onward to the day!
-Nothing super about it. will take a few 20min naps throughout the day to catch up on lost REM state time. Usually I get 3-5hrs, and then the catnaps to equal it out. No change on weekends. Oh, and no caffeine, amphetamines, or other stims. Decaf Earl Grey with a touch of milk and one lump of sugar.
To a casual observer, I'd certainly appear like a "super sleeper". A closer look tells the story of someone with poor sleep habits or as they call it these days poor "sleep hygiene".
Before you decide you're one of the 1-3% of the population that's a super-sleeper, take a realistic inventory of every minute of the day. (does not apply to shift workers- you guys are hardcore machines. no kidding.). G'dday!
As the caregiver to an elderly parent with an array of medical ailments, compunded now with Alzheimer's Disease, I had to shorten my sleep pattern to be available to care for her. I can tell you, it can be done, but I DO NOT RECOMMEND shortened sleep, better known as sleep deprivation. It most definitely takes a toll on your health, especially when you are sleeping on a very old mattress. If the bed I was sleeping on were new/newer I would not feel as tired as I do, but until the financial picture improves (this goes back to the medical status - Medicare being the only health insurance my mother has, no drug coverage), the bed is not at the top of the list.
I probably could go on for awhile, but I would not want to bore you; but the reason I had to lessen my hours were because my mother had Shingles (adult onset of Chicken Pox) which was EXTREMELY painful and I had to tend to her until this bout passed (a healthy adult duration 3-4 weeks, my mother lasted over six weeks, literally still has the scars to date from the rashes) .
now time for some research....
I have long reacted to the medical insistence that you need eight with incredulity. NO I DON'T! And now I know why.
The worlds loudest cat. And hey look at this chunk of jello. What's up h.p. Not enough death and distraction yet?
No I'm not sleeping. I'm filling sandbags with fellow memphians. Time to cancel h.p.