My ears are still ringing from the loud media buzz regarding a study at the University of California, San Diego, claiming that people who sleep more than seven hours a night have shorter lives than their wakeful counterparts. What was often lost in the new cycle was that there are many other well-conducted studies proving exactly the opposite. The fact remains that each of us has an ideal sleep time. I need eight hours of sleep to feel my best. Others might need as few as five or as many as ten. Unless you log in your ideal number of hours, you’re playing fast and loose with your health.
How much sleep do you need to operate most efficiently and pleasurably during the day? Here’s how to find out:
- Go to bed 15 minutes earlier than your usual bedtime and wake up at your normal time. The next day, gauge your response. Are you less tired? More alert? Do you generally feel better? If so, add another 15 minutes of sleep the next night. Keep going until you find a bedtime that leaves you feeling great the entire day that follows. That’s your optimum bedtime.
- If you are wondering if you need less sleep, go to bed 15 minutes later than your usual bedtime, and wake up at the same time the next day. If you experience no difference in alertness or level of fatigue, try cutting back by another 15 minutes each night until you discover the right amount of sleep for you.
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"Do people who sleep less live longer?" was posted on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 at 9:50 am.