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You know, some doctors can be quite frustrating…

Last week I visited my psychiatrist (insert joke here). He gets on me because I told him that, for my whole life, include very early childhood, I’ve averaged 4-6 hours of sleep/night. He insists repeatedly that 7-9 is a must. Now while I don’t disagree with the fact that 7-9 hrs/night is ideal, we don’t live in an ideal world…and I work IT so, need I say more?

Starting this thread mostly to get an idea of if I’m really crazy or not (insert another joke here) about the fact that I’ve done well on 4-6 hours my whole life. As I get older, that may go up but right now, I actually feel worse when I get too much sleep.

Thoughts?

24 Spice ups
2

You’re crazy.

14 Spice ups
3

To be honest, your doctor probably knows what he is talking about, however, if you want to really check on sleep and how it might impact you, check with your neurologist. Mine tells me that 7 hours is best. I normally do great with seven. This week, I’ve been hovering between 5 and 6 and I’m feeling it…

2 Spice ups
4

You probably have sleep apnea too…

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I only sleep 4-6. I wake up naturally because that’s all that I need. Varies, of course. All people vary. 7-9 is the human average range. But everyone is unique.

3 Spice ups
6

I try to go to bed earlier but i fail at it every night. and inevitably when the alarm goes off i snooze.

The comedian Jim Gaffigan said “Nothing’ like starting off the day with a little procrastination. As my first decision of the day, I will go back to sleep.”

I just love being awake at night and I love sleeping in the morning.

The fact of the matter is 24 hours just isnt enough time anymore to get everything done.

6 Spice ups
7

Typically humans need less sleep as they age, unless they are sick. I find that I need less sleep, hours less, if I sleep when it is extremely cold.

1 Spice up
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If I don’t get 8 hours, people know VERY quickly. Caffeine usually ends up mysteriously appearing on my desk around the 1 hour mark of my shift on a bad day.

That said, I’ve been tested for a sleep apnea, and I know I snore, so the sleep quality isn’t the greatest - I’m taking steps to help this, such as actively paying attention to my head and throat positions before falling asleep.

If you’re getting GOOD, SOLID, QUALITY R.E.M. sleep, I can see 5- 6 hours being enough. If it’s not a good sleep though, I suspect you’re doing more harm than good to yourself.

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The biggest thing is… do you force yourself awake or do you wake up, naturally, all refreshed? I get as little as three hours a night but wake up without an alarm.

1 Spice up
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yea I’ve noticed something similar i get much more value/hour the lower the ambient temperature is while sleeping.

1 Spice up
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No alarm for me would require moving my shift at least three hours ahead, or going to bed before my daughter. I’m an alarm-man, myself. Most god aweful thing I can find on my phone.

Weekends are alarm free :slight_smile:

2 Spice ups
12

With all the constant lawn moving, yappy dogs, and buzzsaws around here, and the Neurosis, I have no idea how much I should sleep.

I know that I feel like crap all the time, though.

1 Spice up
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You and I are the same. I’m a lot like that 3-year-old who won’t take a bath but when you get him in the bath he doesn’t want to get out. That’s me with my bed (and a bath too, let’s face it). Also, I agree. 24 hours ain’t cutting it…think we can convince the earth to turn a little slower?

1 Spice up
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I know that technically people NEED less sleep when they get older but they typically still sleep more. I just have found they don’t sleep as soundly, etc.

1 Spice up
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Whenever I do wake up naturally, it’s never at the right time. It’ll be anywhere from half an hour to two or three hours before I need to get up.

I find I always wake up naturally feeling good on my ideal days…35-50F, completely overcast and either misty or a light rain. Pouring isn’t bad but a nice light rain is the best. If it’s sunny (like it is almost every ****ing day here in Texas), I wake up groggy and drained. I HATE sunny days. Driving home from work can be horrible too because I might be tired from the day and have the sun beating down on me while I’m crawling through traffic on the PGB (President George Bush Turnpike for non-Texas people) trying to get home. I love how the speed limit is 70 and if I can average 45-50 on it, while going home, I’m very happy. Without traffic, the trip is 20 minutes, tops. Normally? Takes me well over half an hour to get home…stupid rush hour…

But yeah, sunshine and me combined = sleepy A.J.

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As far as cooler evenings and sleeping go, 30-55 or 60 is by far the best sleeping weather there is. ESPECIALLY if it’s raining. When I lived with my parents, my room always got all the noise from the rain whenever it rained. It was quite soothing and I miss it…oh well!

I’m quite the opposite of, well, 99% of people I’ve ever talked to. I hate hot days. Oh, and hot days means above 75F. I DESPISE sunshine…and I moved to Texas. I’m just weird like that (and many other things but we’ll focus on this for now).

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From what people have said, especially considering my father has sleep apnea, I might do well to be tested…

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Sleep depends solely on how you train yourself. As long as all phases are achieved, be it just two hours, sleep will be restful.

Personally, I discovered that I feel MUCH better if, instead of hogging 10 hours straight, I sleep in 2 or 3 1-2 hour portions. I believe this is because I get all sleep phases multiple times.

19

Hmm… I tend to have a turnaround time of 5-7 hours myself, but I still have the need to catch up on sleep over the weekends. It simply isnt possible for me to sleep before at least 11pm, most often later than that, and my alarm wakes me up at 6am, which I then promptly snooze till 10 past… Usually start feeling a bit run down after 2pm in the afternoons…

20

It’s just really weird because I find that, most of the time, less sleep means better rested for me. Now, if it’s two hours or less, yeah, no good. However, 3-4 always seems to have me wake up the most refreshed the highest percentage of the time. Not every time but that range of hours has the highest probability of me waking up feeling good, despite all other external factors…weird.