Is 8 Hours of Sleep Enough?
When it comes to taking care of your heart, medical inclinations point that 8 hours of sleep is enough. But my question is, does this cover a normal day wherein a person has lesser activities, chores and things to think about or covers everyone in general?
Some people make do with 6 hours while others can go over 8 hours. Depending on your lifestyle, it has been said that you may need an average of 6 to 8 hours. Going over 8 hours makes you groggy and may eventually ruin your sleep cycle. So how do you go about it?
For one, make sure your metabolism is running smoothly. Jog, walk or attend some gym classes. Get the blood vessels flowing to pry you away from that lazy life that people may classify as bums or people who are too lazy to even lift a finger.
At times when you are in bed, you cannot help but want to snooze a bit. Try to correct that habit since snoozing may lead to eventual sleep once again. Before you know it, a couple of hours have passed and once you get up, you ruin your sleep cycle.
Discipline yourself even if it is hard. Getting up is the hardest things people who lack sleep can do. Fight it and try to regulate your sleep pattern. It is bound to be a point that will work to your benefit.
Tags: bums, chores, discipline, gym classes, hours of sleep, lazy life, lifestyle, metabolism
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December 31st, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Take a look at Dr. Gregg Jacob’s article, “The 8 Hour Sleep Myth” on Medhelp.org: http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/48436
January 2nd, 2009 at 5:35 am
I think its not the quantity of sleep but the quality that actually matters - that is why some people sleep for only 5-6 hours and feel energised the whole day!
January 3rd, 2009 at 9:45 am
I agree with ipod dock here. I have few friends who sleep only 5 hours per day, and they are quite active individuals. On the other side, I need 8 hours of sleep each day. I think it is the metabolism and DNA that is responsible for the amount of sleep we need.
January 3rd, 2009 at 6:29 pm
One thing to remember is that all these studies assume that we are able to breathe properly at night while sleeping. In fact, many, if not most modern humans (due to our smaller jaws) obstruct to various degrees at night, especially when on our backs and in REM sleep. The more often you stop breathing to wake up during deep sleep, the less efficient sleep you have and thus need a longer total sleep time. If you look at Dr. Jacob’s article I posted above, the ideal length is actually about 7 hours, with variations from individuals to individuals. Statistically, your 5 hour sleeper friend has a much higher chance of having depression or heart disease. The same applies to extra-long sleepers. I also agree with the article that what you do during the day, as well as how you live your life will also affect the duration and quality of your sleep.
Steven Y. Park, MD
http://www.doctorstevenpark.com