How many hours do you really need? The answer isn’t the same for everyone, but there’s a relatively simple calculation to figure out how many hours each person needs to feel well and wake up refreshed.
There’s a significant difference between the recommended amount of sleep and the amount each of us needs to function optimally and tackle the day ahead.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the average adult sleeps for less than seven hours a night.
However, these six or seven hours per night, which may seem sufficient in today’s fast-paced society, are, in reality, the basic ingredient for a recipe for chronic sleep deprivation.
According to the NIH, sleep deprivation is a common problem that affects more than a third of American adults.
Science has shown many long-term negative effects of prolonged sleep deprivation on health and overall well-being, from memory problems and mood changes to hypertension and a weakened immune system.
So, let’s see how to determine the number of hours of sleep that are right for you.
A Matter of Personality?
Like all things related to our health, the need for sleep varies from person to person.
A study explored the connection between specific personality traits and sleep quality. It was found that one’s personality significantly influences their sleep.
According to the research, extroverts and those with a lower tendency to experience distress and negative emotions have better overall sleep quality. Introverts and those struggling with self-discipline and organization have more difficulty sleeping.
Learning more about yourself can help decipher why you may have trouble falling asleep at night or waking up in the morning.
**Why Can’t I Sleep at Night?**
How to Calculate the Hours of Sleep You Need
The easiest way to understand your body’s sleep rhythm is through self-observation.
Researchers recommend keeping a journal near your bed and recording daily responses to the following questions:
- How do you feel when you get in bed? Tired and half asleep, or completely awake?
- What about your body? Is it sore and achy or relaxed?
- What time was your last meal?
- What time do you go to bed?
Do the same when you wake up:
- What do you remember from the previous night?
- Did you fall asleep easily, or did you toss and turn for a long time?
- Was your mind racing before falling asleep? If so, what were you thinking?
- Did you wake up often during the night?
- Did you dream? If so, what type of dreams did you have?
- What woke you up? Did you feel groggy or rested?
Answering these questions consistently every day for four weeks will provide more clarity about your nighttime routine, both conscious and unconscious.
Calculating Your Hours of Sleep
Calculating how much you actually sleep each night and how much time you spend in each stage can provide a deeper insight into what happens when you close your eyes.
When calculating, the details to note include the time you go to bed and the time you wake up, how long it takes you to fall asleep, and how many times you wake up during the night.
Doing so will help you understand if you complete all five sleep cycles.
Each cycle has three phases: light sleep, REM sleep, and deep sleep.
When it comes to the question of how many hours are sufficient, you need to consider all stages. Each person spends different amounts of time in each of them.
A Little Help from Technology
Monitoring sleep is straightforward. Many smart bands and some smartwatches track heart rate variability and identify the different stages, allowing you to monitor your sleep and work on improving it.
The answer to the initial question doesn’t concern the number of hours spent in bed, but rather the amount of deep sleep you can experience during the night.
With the same number of hours, it’s the deep stages that make the difference when you wake up.
To increase them, try not to exceed with alcoholic drinks, avoid sports or intense activities four hours before you go to bed, and maintain as regular a schedule as possible.
**The 5-Minute Morning Trick for Happiness**
This article first appeared on grazia.it — Author: Miriam Tagini
