Tree House Academy Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I know this may not be what you GET each night...but how many hours do you need to feel your absolute best? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 8 or so. I do get it. I think if you can't get the sleep you need, you are too busy, provided it doesn't have to do with infants or illness. When I was working full time I got between 7-8 and was fine. Any less than that and I would have to find a way to get some extra. Now, this is me at 44. At 25 I could get far less and be perfectly fine. Once I had babies and hit my 30s I needed a full 8 hours. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 I posted this poll because I have been going to bed at 1am or so and I am honestly not able to get out of bed before 9:30 or 10! I do not nap during the day and I am 31 years old. This seems like a LOT of sleep to me. I have always been a "sleeper" and I have always enjoyed sleeping 8+ hours, but now I am getting a little bit concerned as to why in the world I need this much sleep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I need a full 7 hours of good sleep to wake up feeling refreshed and on top of my game. 8 hours is best for me but I've found I can pull it off on 7. If I'm pregnant I need even more, usually 9 to 10 hours. I've never been one of those people who seems to do just fine on fewer hours of sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I need 8 - prefer 9. I'm trying to get myself back on a reasonable sleep schedule. I've been to bed with lights off by 10:30 two nights in a row. But I'm not sleeping well so I'm not getting up until after 8a. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I need a full 7 hours of good sleep to wake up feeling refreshed and on top of my game. 8 hours is best for me but I've found I can pull it off on 7. If I'm pregnant I need even more, usually 9 to 10 hours. I've never been one of those people who seems to do just fine on fewer hours of sleep. What she said :). I currently sleep from about 10-5, and I faithfully take a 20 minute nap at lunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I'm honestly not sure. I go for wks not getting more than 3 hrs a night...including not sleeping at all. Then I have days like Friday. Laid down during Quiet Time (1pm) Wolf woke me up Saturday at 9am.:001_huh: What I wouldn't give to get enough sleep every night to feel 'rested' instead of 'somewhat functional' :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyCrazyMama Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 7 is best but 6 will do. I usually get them.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Why do you do this? Is it because you can't sleep or because you feel you need to get things done? If you can't sleep I would be looking at anything I could to help me sleep. Functioning daily is vital to me. Dawn I'm honestly not sure. I go for wks not getting more than 3 hrs a night...including not sleeping at all. Then I have days like Friday. Laid down during Quiet Time (1pm) Wolf woke me up Saturday at 9am.:001_huh: What I wouldn't give to get enough sleep every night to feel 'rested' instead of 'somewhat functional' :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I need 8. I generally get 6.5! Oh the joys of having hungry, bottle fed lambs living in my dining room. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Why do you do this? Is it because you can't sleep or because you feel you need to get things done? If you can't sleep I would be looking at anything I could to help me sleep. Functioning daily is vital to me. Dawn I think it's probably related to her RSD (I think I got the initials correct), and i also think she'd give anything to be able to sleep normally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I posted this poll because I have been going to bed at 1am or so and I am honestly not able to get out of bed before 9:30 or 10! I do not nap during the day and I am 31 years old. This seems like a LOT of sleep to me. I have always been a "sleeper" and I have always enjoyed sleeping 8+ hours, but now I am getting a little bit concerned as to why in the world I need this much sleep! I am at my best after 9 hours of sleep. If I go to bed at 9pm, I will wake up refreshed at 6am on my own. If I delay and don't go to bed until 10:30, I will have a hard time heeding the call of the alarm clock at 6:30am. I make sleep my number one priority. Nobody in our house is happy if mom is tired ;-) For years, I used to go to bed around 9pm. Now that my kids are older and up later, my DD often not home until 10pm, I stay up later an definitely notice it in the morning. I do not have the option of sleeping in because I need to be at work at 8am three times a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidiyaDawn Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I posted this poll because I have been going to bed at 1am or so and I am honestly not able to get out of bed before 9:30 or 10! I do not nap during the day and I am 31 years old. This seems like a LOT of sleep to me. I have always been a "sleeper" and I have always enjoyed sleeping 8+ hours, but now I am getting a little bit concerned as to why in the world I need this much sleep! Because it's normal. ;) Adult requirements for sleep can vary (I think it's anywhere between 6-9 usually) - there's no set rule. What YOUR body needs might be different than what MY body needs and different than Mr BillyBob from down the road. You're only doing around 8/9 - that's hardly excessive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I tracked my sleeping habits, moods, and diet a few years ago. I operate best on nine hours of decent sleep. My internal clock shuts off at 10pm and I generally go to bed by then. Throw in a host of issues from allergies, stress, and insomnia and there is rarely a week where I get a full nine hours every night. I nap in the late afternoon if necessary, I adore naps. I've always required a lot of sleep, even when my health and mental state are at their peak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Before I started having kids, I got 9 hours a night. I miss those days... It amazes me that I can function at all on the 6-7 hours I'm getting. But it does take it's toll. I drag myself out of bed at 8am. And I'm too grumpy. And not all that productive. I wish I'd ever figured out how to get kids to sleep through the night. I had 3 of them come visit me last night. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidiyaDawn Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Before I started having kids, I got 9 hours a night. I miss those days... It amazes me that I can function at all on the 6-7 hours I'm getting. But it does take it's toll. I drag myself out of bed at 8am. And I'm too grumpy. And not all that productive. I wish I'd ever figured out how to get kids to sleep through the night. I had 3 of them come visit me last night. :glare: I can understand the 1 year old, but the others are plenty old enough to understand what staying in their own beds means! Don't be afraid to put your foot down so that you get the sleep you need to be healthy. :) (Being healthy and "functioning" aren't always the same thing.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I can understand the 1 year old, but the others are plenty old enough to understand what staying in their own beds means! Don't be afraid to put your foot down so that you get the sleep you need to be healthy. :) (Being healthy and "functioning" aren't always the same thing.) I know! A big part of the problem is that I'm too tired to notice that they are there right away. Last night 1yo dd came to my room, and I was too tired to take her back, so I pulled her into bed. Later she started fussing and discovered that the 7yo was in our bed too! I pushed him out onto the floor and I think he stayed there the rest of the night. 5yo is always having bad dreams. I'm just a pushover with that boy, though. You're right. I need to take a week where I talk to them in the day about staying in bed, then I make myself fully wake up to enforce it at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkInTheBlue Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 To be my best I need 8 and I prefer 9. I also prefer not to go to bed early so it makes it a bit complicated sometimes. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I feel best with 8 hours sleep. I can function on 7. On occasion, I have had to make do with 6 or less, but I definitely can't do that frequently. If I have over 8 hours, I am either sick or will feel groggy (or both.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secular_mom Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I posted this poll because I have been going to bed at 1am or so and I am honestly not able to get out of bed before 9:30 or 10! I do not nap during the day and I am 31 years old. This seems like a LOT of sleep to me. I have always been a "sleeper" and I have always enjoyed sleeping 8+ hours, but now I am getting a little bit concerned as to why in the world I need this much sleep! I have ALWAYS needed 8+ hours, since I was a teenager. When I was a baby I didn't take naps at all, and didn't sleep as much. I can sleep a ridiculously long time if I'm sick or if I've been doing too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Ideally, 8 or 9 hours is best for me. I usually get about 7 though, and I can function. Six or under really kills me; I feel sick, shaky, extremely irritable, spacy, and I have a hard time getting anything done. I know I would feel infinitely better if I forced myself to go to bed earlier. However, I often become lost in reading at night, so if the book has grabbed me, I will push myself to read more than I should. I've done this since childhood, so at 37, it's going to be a hard habit to break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 HA! I'm the only one (so far) who chose 5-6 hours. It's honestly true. If I get anything less than 4 I'm a horrible crab, but I usually hit the sack between 12:30 and 1 a.m. (voluntarily... there's nothing making me stay up this late other than my own night-owl-ish-ness) and then get up at 6:30 to get DD to school on time. I have always needed very little sleep. During my high school years, I would go to bed at midnight or later and then get up at 5 a.m. without problems. Sometimes I'd be up before the alarm went off. Sometimes I will have nights when I sleep 12-14 hours, but those come about once a month. I don't feel sleep-deprived at all, and while I drink coffee, it's more for the flavor and routine than the caffeine. I went for ages without drinking any caffeine at all. Then again, I'm only 28. This may change with age. I won't deny the possibility :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncmomo3 Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I'm the only one (so far) who chose 5-6 hours. It's honestly true. :iagree: I haven't needed more than 6 hours since my early 20's (now in my 40's). I needed about 10-12 when I was a teen though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Why do you do this? Is it because you can't sleep or because you feel you need to get things done? If you can't sleep I would be looking at anything I could to help me sleep. Functioning daily is vital to me. Dawn I think it's probably related to her RSD (I think I got the initials correct), and i also think she'd give anything to be able to sleep normally. You're correct. I'm on all sorts of meds to help me sleep, but my body seems to adjust to them rapidly, so they are like taking tic tacks. I would give anything (almost...not selling a kid or dh) to sleep properly, because when I don't sleep, the pain levels go up, which means I sleep less, which means pain levels go higher...wash, rinse, repeat until my body hits the wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I seem to need sleep. Ten hours makes me feel good. I usually get between 7-8. If left on my own I'd get up at 6:00 but go to bed at 8:00.:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 8.5 hrs is my perfect amount. Whenever I wake up naturally it is always at exactly 8.5 hrs.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Why do you do this? Is it because you can't sleep or because you feel you need to get things done? If you can't sleep I would be looking at anything I could to help me sleep. Functioning daily is vital to me. Dawn Them's fighting words for those of us who want so desperately to sleep but can't! Like Imp, I know that the less sleep I get, the more pain I will have the next day. The frustration as I lie there in pain, knowing what the consequence will be the next day is such that, again, like Imp, I'd do almost anything. I do best with 7 hours but don't often get it. When I do, it's time for a party! :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I truly need at least nine, but rarely get more than 6-7. I often feel I'm functioning sub-optimally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I'll say 7-8, but have been getting 6 since dh has been gone. I end up staying up way to late to get some "alone" time and then I don't get enough sleep. When dh was here I would go to bed at 9:30 or 10 because he would let me escape for awhile during the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secular_mom Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I truly need at least nine, but rarely get more than 6-7. I often feel I'm functioning sub-optimally. :grouphug: You are missed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidiyaDawn Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Them's fighting words for those of us who want so desperately to sleep but can't! Dawn wouldn't necessarily have any knowledge of whatever medical conditions Impish has though and RSD wasn't mentioned in her (Impish's) first post about only getting 3 hours or less. Impish's? <-- that doesn't look right.. but I think it is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Oh, sorry. I really wasn't trying to start a fight.....I just wondered. I can't imagine being in pain and not getting the sleep you need. Sorry. Dawn Them's fighting words for those of us who want so desperately to sleep but can't! Like Imp, I know that the less sleep I get, the more pain I will have the next day. The frustration as I lie there in pain, knowing what the consequence will be the next day is such that, again, like Imp, I'd do almost anything. I do best with 7 hours but don't often get it. When I do, it's time for a party! :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Sorry. That sounds horrible. Dawn You're correct. I'm on all sorts of meds to help me sleep, but my body seems to adjust to them rapidly, so they are like taking tic tacks. I would give anything (almost...not selling a kid or dh) to sleep properly, because when I don't sleep, the pain levels go up, which means I sleep less, which means pain levels go higher...wash, rinse, repeat until my body hits the wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Oh, sorry. I really wasn't trying to start a fight.....I just wondered. I can't imagine being in pain and not getting the sleep you need. Sorry. Dawn Oh, I meant it tongue in cheek. That's why I put that subtle exclamation point in there. All I meant was that sleeping x amount of hours is not a choice for many people. Have you seen how many posts there are on this board about insomnia? Some have pain with it like Imp and I do (or as a cause) and some don't. But all of us wail about wanting the sleep but not being able to get it. In an aside, I did get 7.5 hours last night but I don't know if it really counts since I woke up at least 6 times during that time. It was more like a series of naps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 (edited) I can funtion on 6 which I usually I get by sleeping two three hour stretches in a 24 hour period. I rarely if ever sleep more than 3 hours at a time. There are so periods were I go without any sleep at all for days at a time. When I am manic I can manage on less sleep but when I crash then I am really tired and feel the need to catch up on as much sleep as I can. During these periods I may manage to get a nap of an additional two or three hours. If it was up to me I would love to sleep at least two four hours periods because if I sleep longer than that at one time I wake up extremely sore. I don't know why but I don't mind working around it as long as I get enough sleep over all. When I was a teen, I used to sleep 10 or 11 hours at a time and I loved it. Since the kids though my sleep has always been broken and I guessed I just never recovered from that pattern. Edited February 22, 2011 by KidsHappen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I need 8 - prefer 9. I'm trying to get myself back on a reasonable sleep schedule. I've been to bed with lights off by 10:30 two nights in a row. But I'm not sleeping well so I'm not getting up until after 8a. Chucki, I have found that if I go to bed later, say between 1 & 2 not only do I fall asleep easier, I sleep better and for a longer period of time at one stretch. Then I get up about 5 take care of the animals, get the kids off to school and get back to bed about 8 and sleep until between 11 and 12. This is working better than anything else that I have tried. Have you tried something like this? Maybe it would work for you too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mykdsmomy Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see that other moms need as much sleep as me :001_smile: I voted 7-8 but I really feel optimal at 9 hours. I have gotten into this bad habit of taking 2 hour naps when dh gets home (around 5'ish). Then I get up at 7pm and get the kids settled for the night, run errands and work on the computer until around 1am. Ds7 usually falls asleep between 9-10pm so then I can have a few hours to unwind. The problem is I'm NOT a morning person.....so I tend to wake up when ds7 gets up around 7'ish am but I doze while he plays with ds10 until around 9am. I don't want to give up my naps because they are a much needed escape after a long day ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 (edited) Why do you do this? Is it because you can't sleep or because you feel you need to get things done? If you can't sleep I would be looking at anything I could to help me sleep. Functioning daily is vital to me. Dawn I am pretty sure it is due to her pain. She suffers from severe chronic pain which makes it extremely difficult to sleep and then disrupted sleep increase the pain making it even harder to sleep. It is a terrible negative cycle to end up in. I sure she will explain more and better when she gets a chance. ETA: Oops. I see several people already explained this. I too severe from chronic pain so I can relate and felt that I could offer some insight. Edited February 22, 2011 by KidsHappen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 You're correct. I'm on all sorts of meds to help me sleep, but my body seems to adjust to them rapidly, so they are like taking tic tacks. I would give anything (almost...not selling a kid or dh) to sleep properly, because when I don't sleep, the pain levels go up, which means I sleep less, which means pain levels go higher...wash, rinse, repeat until my body hits the wall. I know the cycle well. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraQ Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I can get by on very little (5-6) hours a night for a good long while--up to a week and a half--and work very well like that, but at some point I MUST "catch up" on my sleep with a good, solid 10+ hour block of sleep. I will, if allowed, sleep that long anyway no matter how much sleep I've gotten each night of the week leading up to my sleep-in day, so really I'm more productive if I get LESS sleep all week long, and then catch up all at once on a day off. Of course, that catch-up day varies for me since I work 2 12-hr shifts every other weekend, and work another 2 12-hour shifts every week M-F, and homeschool my 2 kids full-time as well. I suppose there are people who thrive on going to bed & getting up at the same time every day, but I do not. If I work 2 or 3 12's in a row, I MUST sleep in the next day! Going to bed earlier the next night does NOT cut it for me. But I also cannot just get 8 hours a night. Some nights that's not nearly enough, and some nights that's just not an option, and some nights I just *can't* make myself go to sleep early enough for that no matter what. I'm a night owl in an early bird's world, and this is how I cope: an erratic sleep schedule, and working the "dreaded" 11a-11p shift at work ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 If I get 6-7 hours of sleep (or less) and then have to wake up, I feel physically sick all day...like I could throw up - sick. I think I am just reverting to my teenage years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imprimis Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 (edited) I have always needed a lot of sleep...9-10 hours, optimally. I can (and do by necessity) get by on less, but I don't feel my best. Oddly enough, my mom seemed to need only 4-5 hours a night. That was her average for many, many years. She was on one extreme and I on the other. She always told me, "oh, when you get older, you'll require less sleep." Hasn't happened... Edited February 22, 2011 by Imprimis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBG580 Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I need 8. I generally get 6.5! Oh the joys of having hungry, bottle fed lambs living in my dining room. Faith I had to help with this very thing when I was a kid many, many years and I've always thought young girls who romanticize having a baby should be responsible for bottle feeding lambs - even in the middle of the night - for several weeks to see what it's like! I need 8 hours to feel good, I usually get 6-7 and I can function but it takes a lot of concealer under my eyes for me to not look like I've been punched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I am pretty much chronically sleep deprived. In order to homeschool my kids, I have to work nights which means I only get about one really good night's sleep a week. Otherwise, although I really need 8 hours of sleep, I typically only get about 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OLG Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I think people are just different in their sleep needs. I am an eight hour plus person and always have been. Good friends can function on 5-6 which would incapacitate me! I 'can' function well on eight hours but just feel more rested when I get a bit more than that. Maybe it is genetics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I need 8-9, depending on how well the baby sleeps. I had insomnia for the longest time but found that adjusting my diet it has finally went away, thank goodness. I stayed in a fog for the first years of ds' life. The big things were going grain and gluten free. These days if I have a day that I don't sleep for whatever reason I do ok, but more than one and I start feeling it. Dh deals w/ the 3 yo if she awakes, like if she is sick or something. The 6 yo never wakes and the baby co=sleeps and generally sleeps pretty good, wakes a few time to nurse and goes right back to sleep. I find that I have to go to bed w/ the baby if not I have a very hard time falling asleep, I take my time in the morning before everyone gets up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 8 or more. Not that I actually get them (see the avatar pic) :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I voted 7 - 8, but that's for total sleep. I do best on 6 - 7 at night and a 30 or 45 minute nap in the late afternoon. Honestly, even a 10 minute nap does wonders for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imeverywoman Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I cannot have 7ish hours. It's either 6 or less, or 8-9. It's really crazy...:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Eight and a half is about perfect for me. I can live well enough on 7 for a few weeks providing I am sleeping for the two hours after sunrise. I read recently that is the most important time of day for serotonin production and I certainly feel the effects when I don't get that! Insomnia being one of those effects, which only makes the whole problem worse... Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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