# How Much Sleep Do You Need Each Day? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 1, 2011, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784 "2011-02-01T13:39:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/1 "2011-02-01T13:39:29Z")
Inspired by [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=13417485&posted=1#post13417485) I found for myself personally, I need eight hours. If I don’t get that much, I get cranky and I’m tired and don’t feel right. If I get less, then on the weekend, I have to make it up. I realize the sleep requirement is different for everyone. So what is your personal sleep requirement, so that you feel you operate at your best. Note: For the poll, if you sleep 7 and a half hours, you’d pick - 7 hours but less than 8). So fraction of hours go with the main hour 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/2 "2011-02-01T13:46:38Z")
I voted for five hours. I’m usually closing my eyes by 11:15 although it takes me 20-30 minutes to drift off, and my alarm goes off at 5:25, so that’s about 5.5 hours (but less than 6). On the rare occasion I get more than that, I can’t get to sleep the next night because I’m overslept. ---
**Author:** ![Waxwinged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@Waxwinged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waxwinged)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/3 "2011-02-01T14:30:40Z")
Can go anywhere from 5 to 12, no real preference, just whatever the situation warrants. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/4 "2011-02-01T14:33:45Z")
Between 7-8 is best for me, but if I go several days on less, when I finally get to catch up, I can easily sleep 10 hours or more. ---
**Author:** ![footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/footballisplayedwithyourfeet)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/5 "2011-02-01T14:34:04Z")
> [@Waxwinged](#): > > Can go anywhere from 5 to 12, no real preference, just whatever the situation warrants. Very similar. I usually get around 7, but have no problem staying in bed longer 🙂 If I need to go somewhere I can also get bye on 4, 5 or 6 hours but I’ve never had to do this for an extended period of time… ---
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/6 "2011-02-01T14:42:34Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > Between 7-8 is best for me, but if I go several days on less, when I finally get to catch up, I can easily sleep 10 hours or more. This is me. My normal week day is something like 11:15 to 6:45, but more often than not I’m sleeping 9-10 hours at least one day on a weekend to catch up. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/7 "2011-02-01T14:53:11Z")
I usually go to bed around 2 and wake up most days at 6. So 4 is my average. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/8 "2011-02-01T15:16:43Z")
I do well with 7 - any more than that and I’m groggy for the rest of the day, but I chose 6 because I’m really alert with 6 and that’s closer to what I realistically get. ---
**Author:** ![Bartman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bartman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bartman)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/9 "2011-02-01T16:29:08Z")
7½ - 8 Hours. Either side of that and I tend to feel a bit less coherent. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/10 "2011-02-01T16:30:27Z")
I can get by on 6 (and often do), but I really need 7. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/11 "2011-02-01T16:37:35Z")
I don’t have a minimum sleep quota I have to meet each night to feel normal during the day. As long as I get a couple hours, I’m good to go. I can even do that for a few days in a row and feel fine (although I will get sleepy at night, which doesn’t happen until I get into bed on a normal schedule). Eventually though I end up sleeping in a few hours on a day I don’t have to be at work early. But I don’t need a lot of catch-up sleep when I’ve gone without for a while. Most nights I try to get 6 or 7, sometimes I get 8. More than 8 I usually wake up feeling awful, ‘hungover’ with a headache. Less sleep is much less of a problem than more, but I feel it’s probably best to get a normal amount, so that’s what I plan for. ---
**Author:** ![gurujulp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba9def/32.png) [@gurujulp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gurujulp)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/12 "2011-02-01T16:41:55Z")
Completely depends on which hours of the day I get to sleep. If I can go to bed about two or three am and sleep until ten am, I am refreshed, so seven to eight. If I have to go to bed at 9 or 10 pm I will toss and turn and not get good sleep until about three or so, so I will still be grumpy at 7 am- so I need more than nine… ETA:voted other ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/13 "2011-02-01T17:16:02Z")
I need 8 1/2 hours of sleep to feel fully rested and capable the next day. This was not so when I was in my 20’s, and I guess it’s the same for many people, ie. young people tend to get by with less sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/14 "2011-02-01T17:34:38Z")
I get about 7 but I really need 8+, possibly even 9. I need to find a way to tweak my schedule to allow more sleep because the lack of it is making me mess stuff up. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/15 "2011-02-01T17:38:25Z")
Six and I’m good. 🙂 Seven and up feels like such a luxury. When it gets down to 4 or below, then I notice it starting to impair my efficiency. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/16 "2011-02-01T17:43:13Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > I need 8 1/2 hours of sleep to feel fully rested and capable the next day. This was not so when I was in my 20’s, and I guess it’s the same for many people, ie. young people tend to get by with less sleep. Other way around-- I’m 51 and now sleeping shorter hours than ever. Even 5 hours is not so bad. But when I was young, I loved my 8. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/17 "2011-02-01T18:17:53Z")
I know from all the research that getting enough sleep is a good thing. It even helps keep the weight down and the immune system up. I pretty much work out three times a day so I could use the sleep. If I have absolutely nothing special going on, I could rest/sleep for as much as 9.5 hours. If I am involved in a project, I might almost work through the day with only two hours of restless sleep or anything in between. ---
**Author:** ![wheresmymind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@wheresmymind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheresmymind)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/18 "2011-02-01T22:04:02Z")
Sleeping is probably my favorite thing that I do on a regular basis. About 9 hours is optimal for me, anything less than 8 and I’ll notice it the next day. Less than 6 and I’ll probably need a nap to finish the day. I have absolutely no trouble sleeping 10-12 hours in a night, but if I get more than 10 I tend to feel like a lazy waste. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/19 "2011-02-01T23:22:29Z")
I’d _prefer_ to get eight, but anything over six allows me to get through the day without being overly tired…unless it’s several six hour nights strung together. I get ragged towards the end. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784/20 "2011-02-01T23:25:59Z")
I generally go to sleep right around midnight (generally as soon as Coco is done), and get up at six-ish. I rarely have a problem keeping this schedule, but I do catch up a bit on weekends. Not a lot though, as the dogs don’t seem to understand the concept of ‘sleeping in’. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-each-day/569784.md?page=2)