“Enough sleep?”
I'm trying to figure out how much sleep I need. I've read 8 hours, but oftentimes after 8 hours, I feel groggy for many hours in the morning. I'm trying to do a controlled experiment to see how much sleep I may need, but I don't know what variables to consider. How do I understand and figure out how much sleep my body needs?
Male | 35 years old
4 Answers
SleepMedicineSpecialistSleepMedicineSpecialist
Usually, at 35 yo, you need 7-8 hours of good sleep. How many hours you sleep on vacations is usually a good sign.
The answer is individualized: as much sleep as you require to feel refreshed. :)
7 to 9 hours is an accurate average sleep duration, the best time to try to get enough sleep is during vacation. Sleep or other medical conditions, medications, lifestyle, bedroom factors affect sleep quality. All of these need to be evaluated before l can give you an informed answer. Don't operate machines, drive or make financial decisions when sleepy.
Most adults need between 7 and 9 hours but few sleep that long. First, you need to have a consistent sleep and wake time that does not vary by more than +/- 30 minutes. It ought to be while it is dark out. If you are well rested you should not be falling asleep during the day when doing quiet or boring activities. If you fall asleep watching television or in meetings during the day you need more sleep. If that does not happen you might perhaps get by with less. There is a phenomenon called sleep inertia that makes some people groggy when they first awaken and it can take an hour or 2 for some people to fully awaken. That is a variant of normal and not of concern. If no amount of sleep within reason prevents you from falling asleep unintentionally during the day, there is likely a medical problem, and sleep physician consultation would be appropriate.
