How much sleep do you get a night?

United States
September 22, 2009 9:38am CST
Back when I was in high school, I would get anywhere around 7-8 hours of sleep a night. When I joined the navy, that went down to 4-6, depending on if I had watch that night or not. Now that I'm out, I get somewhere around 5-6 hours a night... My wife is totally different, needing 8-10 hours a night! What about you? How much sleep do you need a night to get through a day on? Dive Deep!
6 people like this
53 responses
@UK_Shree (3603)
22 Sep 09
I do need at least 8 hours of sleep every night too, otherwise I am not very able to get on with whatever it is I need to do the next day. If I only have 5 or 6 hours of sleep during the night then I will usually need to have a mid-day nap, otherwise I get really sleepy way before bed-time!
@UK_Shree (3603)
24 Sep 09
I know, the days do not seem long enough. But do try and get enough sleep, for the sake of your health.
@UK_Shree (3603)
24 Sep 09
hi yvonne, well your lack of sleep is real proof of what can happen if we don't sleep for long enough. I am glad you try to get enough sleep these days.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
22 Sep 09
I need at least seven hours but I do not get that much. What with moving my husband because he has probably Lou Gehrig's disease and his muscles are being lost and he cannot move as much, getting him a drink during the night or the urinal, I find that my sleep is interrupted. I am also afraid of sitting down during the day because I doze off once in a while. I would love to sleep through the night once, but it seems impossible. And the trouble is that I am a naturally light sleeper so a whisper could wake me up.
@Archie0 (5652)
22 Sep 09
Experts recommend a range of 7-9 hours of sleep each night for adults of every age. While sleep patterns change as people age, the amount of sleep adults need remains constant. At the same time, sleep experts are united in their assessment that getting enough sleep is essential to health and well-being. For sleep to be rejuvenating, you should get your sleep in one uninterrupted block of time. Disruptive sleep is not restorative and will cause drowsiness. Six hours of good, solid sleep is often more restorative than eight hours of poor, fragmented sleep. Children need a lot more sleep than adults do because they’re constantly growing.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
22 Sep 09
So what am I supposed to do? Get some poison and pour it into his drink or smother him while he is sleeping in order for me to get the whole seven to eight hours rest? That is what when someone says "experts recommend" without understanding the situation, they make it worse and make the caregiver, that is me, have to make a horrible decision. Surely you are not suggesting that I divorce my husband in order to get the whole night sleep or move him to a convalescent home or pay for someone for respite aside what I am doing now? I already get help but there are others in the same situation. I am stating facts and yet you seem to think that i just get up for the fun of it.
@chertsy (3798)
• United States
18 Oct 09
Another Navy person, cool. I remember many nights of loss sleep because of the watches. Funny that I'm out now, I still get around the same amount of sleep. I'm lucky if I get 6 hours. Funny I can function better if I don't get any sleep compared to if I get anything less than 6 hours. My husband, bless his heart gets lucky if he gets 6 because of his job. With kids, and my husband's hours, I can get tired around 7, but get a boost of energy and I end up going to bed around 10 or 11. I would be lucky to get 8 hours, I think the last time I got that many, I was sick.
@vicky30 (4766)
• India
16 Dec 09
I get around 4 to 6 hours of sleep if there is pain in my body or else i get around 8 to ten hours.The recommended sleep per night is 6 to8 hours.During my exams it is just one or two hours.Now because i have loads of work i get up at three or four in the morning and do it.I sometimes get distracted playing online games.Nowadays i get up in the morning mostly to earn money.
@babyjesus (277)
29 Sep 09
You are right. when i was still single i use to get at least 6 -8 or on a weekend more than that number of hours of sleep. But when my family came especially that the kids are growing and school time, i get 4 -6 hours of sleep. I need to wake up at 4 am to prepare breakfast for my son. I sleep late to catch up with my email since in the afternoon, my kids used the computer. But and a big but, i try to get as much sleep on a weekend.
@ginny01 (68)
• Hong Kong
9 Oct 09
I start to go to bed at 10:35 pm then and totally sleep at about 11 till 6am i think 8hours i have sleep.tnx to you chaoticBeauty have a nice day.
• Philippines
25 Sep 09
i can get a sleep of 4 hours minimun and 6 hours maximun. At my age of 29 I am very busy with a lot of stuff and now Christmas is approaching I have so much to do that is why I sleep only for 4 to 6 hours. Sometimes I have sleep for 2 hours because it is really hard to fall a sleep on Sunday night and I will be back at work Monday morning, I have no choice but to wake up even i have only 2 hours of sleep.
@ilyzium (1197)
• Canada
24 Sep 09
Hi chaoticbeauty, Well, I really try to aim for probably 7-8 hrs of sleep a night but it doesn't always happen. For the most part though I do have better quality sleep than I used to I will say. It also makes a difference if your partner is a snorer as that can seriously disrupt your sleep. Mine is so I have to wear ear plugs, and sleep with a pillow covering my entire head, and have the fan blowing to wipe out any noise. I remember a year ago I was sleeping maybe 4 hrs/night. I just couldn't seem to fall asleep and always had these heart palpitations and felt hyper at midnight, when you should be sleeping. Apparently my circadian rhythm had switched over, so i was functioning as though I had permanent jet lag! It can happen to people. It was very bizarre and quite stressful too, because I remember driving home and almost falling asleep in my car while driving over the bridge!! So, yes in that aspect if you are sleep deprived which experts suggest most people are, then that could easily happen to any one of you!
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
25 Sep 09
I usually get about 7 hours. Though some days I could use a couple of hours more. I have heard that a good gauge to see if one is getting enough sleep is to get up when the body is ready. I think though that it is very important to go to bed no later than 11:00.
@K46620 (1986)
• United States
28 Sep 09
Not enough! Sleep deprivation is one of the most widespread medical/mental problems Americans face. Next year's Resolution is getting more sleep! I average maybe 6.5-7 hours now, I want 8.5 minimum.
• China
24 Sep 09
i think i need to 7.5 hours at night, and with half an hour of nap at noon. that's my ideal sleeping hour. but the reality is that i cant get 7.5 hours to sleep well, these days, i always dream in the evening. so confused and bad. maybe i have too much pressure in my mind.
@cwong77 (2010)
• Malaysia
25 Sep 09
When I was working in a cafe, I had only about 4 to 5 hours sleep, and sometimes only about 2 to 3 hours if I got those back to back shifts.. and when I share this with my store manager, he commented that I am old, therefore I don't need that amount of sleep! I told him, I wish I could have more sleep if the schedule has been able to compromise me on the sleeping hours! Anyway, I really need a solid 8 hours sleep nowadays, as I got a baby to take care, and the enough sleep will let me have a better mood and not so easy to kick a fuss out. I need the beauty sleep of mine too in order to recuperate from the day of tired taking care of a child. Even if I can't have a good solid 8 hours sleep at one go, I will take a nap in the afternoon to make up for it.. so now, people say I am like a baby, therefore I need that amount of sleep.. actually, there is sayings that, the older we grow, the lesser amount of sleep we need.. but for me, no matter what, I need sleep all the time..
@sharryCD (121)
• China
24 Sep 09
As for me, i nearly get 6-7 hours sleep every night. But if i have time, i would take a nap in the afternoon. After a short sleep in the afternoon, i will feel refreshed. Anyhow i enjoy sleeping :)
@fan_philo (227)
• India
24 Sep 09
If u get 9hrs of sleep is best and good for health i get only 5 to 6hrs sleep sometimes even 4hrs
@bestboy19 (5478)
• United States
23 Sep 09
I usually get six to eight hours of sleep.
@aerous (13434)
• Philippines
24 Sep 09
When I was in college I learn that the regular hour for a person having sleep is eight(8) hours. But now, study show and most doctors says four (4) hours is sufficient enough. For me, my friend. I sleep at 3 in the morning then wake up at 7 am. That is four hours a day but sometimes I feel that span of sleep is not sufficient because I always feel sleepy everyday... Have a nice day!
@wwkeen (247)
• Malaysia
23 Sep 09
well, i usually only got 6-7 hours per day depend on my daily work load. If the day more work today, i only got 4-5 hours sleep per day.
@jen14ed (865)
• Philippines
24 Sep 09
hi ChaoticBeauty I'm sleep at 9pm in the evening, first i watch my favorite tv shows is DARNA then after finish my favorites tv shows i go to sleep my favorites tv show finish at 9:00pm in the evening, then after i go to sleep then after 30min 9:30 I'm sleep before i go to sleep i listening mp4 on my cellphone after a 30min I'm sleep, then i wake up in 7:00am in the morning my total hours is 9 hours and 30min this is my total sleep at night, i never sleep in the after noon because if I'm sleep in the after noon is hard for me to sleep at night.
@auzi17 (43)
• Myanmar
23 Sep 09
I sleep 8-9 hours a day but I really wanna sleep more than 10 hours. i like in sleeping reading and eating.
• United States
23 Sep 09
I usually get about 7 hrs. I am usually in the bed no later than 10:00 p.m. and get up anywhere from 5:00 a.m - 5:15 a.m.