How Much Sleep Do You All Require To Feel Rested?

[jbrian00]

Hi,

I thought I would ask this question because I have been known to require a lot of sleep -- ever since I was an early teenager. Even now, I tend to be in bed about 11-11.5 hours before I actually feel somewhat rested in the morning (albeit some of that is time spent trying to fall asleep, which sometimes takes a good hour maybe more), but my family has expressed concern that I sleep too much. I can tell you that only sleeping the recommended 8 hours, I would be a walking zombie the next day. I try not to take naps, though (don't really feel like I need them after sleeping that long). I read that it is important for dysautonomics to get lots of rest, but how much is "lots". I also realize a lot of you have jobs or things you need to get up for/symptoms that keep you from sleeping, etc..., but with that aside, I'm just interested in how long you would you typically sleep for, if given the chance.

James

[jump]

I feel best when I sleep 10 hours a night, although I can get by on 9. I usually have one day a week where I'm so tired I have to sleep pretty much most of the day (10 hours at night and then a 5 hour "nap" or something). If I'm not working a lot I don't need that big "sleep day."

Even in the perfectly healthy population, lots of people need more than the suggested 8 hours of sleep. I know healthy people who need 10 or 11 hours a night to feel their best. If getting 11 hours of sleep doesn't interfere with your life - that is, if it doesn't bother you or keep you from doing things you like, etc - it's not necessarily a problem. Just like some people need less than 8, some people need more -- and I think people with dysaut often get easily fatigued, so it would make sense that you might need more than your average person.

jump

[Carly87]

I'm kind of all over the place...

I'm a college student, so its not unheard of for me to get 3,4,5 hours of sleep per night. I usually get by fine on 6-7 although 8-10 hours is definitely preferable to me. Sadly, schoolwork/roommates make it almost impossible to get this much sleep in one night. This past semester at school I probably averaged 6 hours a night...Horrible I know. When I came back from school there were some nights were I just crashed and slept for 12 hours but sleeping so much makes me feel even more tired. Its kind of like a weird cycle.

I feel most refreshed after 10 hours. 12 was too much and it made me even more tired, plus, there is no way I could stick to that sleep routine for long because I hated waking up at noon every day and I also now have a job that starts at 9am.

[flop]

I function ok on about 10-11 hours sleep but often have to make do with only 7 hours. I know when my body is deprived of sleep as I desperately need to nap during the day. Today I had an hour gap in my work schedule and I drove straight to my next meeting location so that I could recline the car seat and sleep for 45 mins before the meeting!

I've just had a week's holiday but still felt tired all weekend. I met a friend at the gym but was too tired to do more than 10 lengths of the pool (was aiming to do 60 lengths) and then spent a couple of hours asleep on a poolside lounger. Yesterday I went to bed at 5pm for a planned 3 hour nap before fixing dinner - didn't wake up until 2am, had a quick microwave meal and went back to bed until the alarm went off at 8am (14 hrs sleep).

Flop

[maryfw]

I never get enough sleep. I cant sleep without waking up several times a night so there is no way I can get enough sleep.

mary

[pat57]

I have to get nine. I can survive one night on less. After that I am too exhausted to stand more than a minute.

[nunibenuni]

10-11 hours is usually the right amount for me, but I'm in high school so that doesn't usually happen. During the school year I try to get 8 hrs, but get about 7. I can get by on that if I get enough sleep on the weekends, but I also nap after school and, at the end of this school year, I napped during French and sometimes lunch.

[MightyMouse]

I need about 10 hours, sometimes more, rarely less.

[medicalenigma]

for me, i never feel rested.. whether 8 hours or 20.... i don't remember the last time i woke up and felt like i slept.

[Rachel]

I never feel rested anymore no matter how much sleep I do or don't get. I feel "best", though, with 10 hours of sleep.

Rachel

[MightyMouse]

I should clarify...I don't feel completely rested after sleeping... the hours I posted are what I need to function.

[Ernie]

Hi,

11-12 hours per night.

[MomtoGiuliana]

9 hours/night. I can manage with less but too much less catches up with me.

[delphicdragon]

If I'm doing stuff during the day (ie working) I need at least 10 or 11.

If I'm not doing stuff (ie summer or if I'm out of work due to an injury) I need 9. (This is after 2 weeks of 10+ hours).

I think we're all in a state of sleep dep, just because our bodies need so much energy just to remain upright.

Sara

[ajw4790]

Hi,

I never feel rested, no matter how much I sleep. I can even sleep 15-20 hrs. and not be rested. A few months ago was the first time I got "restful" sleep in 10+ years (and possibly ever). And it was only after three hours sleep, and I felt so incredibly rested and a ton of energy, and it lasted a good part of the day, but I have not had that kind of restful sleep and energy again. It was a tease!

[Guest tearose]

Since I don't get restorative sleep, I don't even count the hours, I just have to sleep as much as possible and take additional naps as necessary. I probably average 9 unrestorative hours and up 3x a night and one to three 10-30 minute naps the next day.

[mkoven]

Feeling like one has slept many hours and not feeling rested is often a symptom of a sleep disorder, like apnea. I was diagnosed several months ago and have been on cpap. It has not fixed my any symptoms by any means, but I sleep a lot better, with fewer hours in bed. I had not idea I had apnea, with no recollection. but if your body is fighting to breathe throughout the night, your sleep will not be good. Now I feel better sleeping five hours with cpap, than I used to feel sleeping 9, because it's actually restorative. I have fewer migraines, better mood, less fatigue, and less general achiness. My ans stuff is by no means fixed, but a sleep disorder is hard on the ans of people without dysautonomia.

BTW, I don't fit the profile, I'm female, 41, normal-sized neck (even if other words on the chunky side). I snore a little, but not a lot. My spouse never noticed pauses in breathing. But overall I stop breathing for up to a minute seven times an hour, and during rem, 48.6 times an hour. and only a sleep study showed that.

I encourage anyone who feels like they sleep a lot and don't feel rested to get a sleep study. Although my cpap mask is hardly sexy and can be a little uncomfortable, the better sleep is definitely worth it to me. If you don't look like the typical apnea patient, you may have to push, but untreated apnea is not good. And the great news is cpap is not a drug-- just a commitment.

It's now a game for me to look at the readouts on my cpap machine to see how "well" I did each night-- the number of recorded apneas. (Cpap isn't perfect, but if you've been properly titrated, and have a good mask fit, it should be under 5/hour. My goal is to keep it under 2 to feel the best.)

[Michelle F.]

10-11 hours, but I seldom get it, as homeschool mom to 5 children.

Michelle F.

[JenniferInOhio]

I feel best with 10 hours of sleep.

[Megan]

I need about 9 hours per night. If I go over ten, I feel sleepy all day. I do take naps fairly often, though. I need to rest every few hours to keep going.

Meg