Is 5 hours sleep sufficient? I rarely get the recommended 8 hours sleep.?

Question

I go to bed at around 2am but I never sleep straight away.

I have to get up at 8am, and I never always feel my best and my eyes are dry.

Will I cause any long term problems for my health if I carry on with little sleep, or will my body get used to it?

I'm 23 and female, I work part time and study full time.

Answer 1

If you are feeling unwell/dry eyed then it is definitely not enough sleep for you and I think that lack of sleep can cause quite few health problems and you wont be living / enjoying your life to the full. Try and get some more sleep, it will really help your well being.

I asked a question a while ago for tips of how to get to sleep as I don't sleep well myself, there is some good advice in there [among the silly answers :o)!] - so go and have a look via my profile.

Answer 2

Depends on the person. For me, it's enough. But my boyfriend needs like 7 to 8 hours of sleep. You might want to go see someone about the headaches. Also, if those 5 to 6 hours are pure sleep, then you should be fine. A person can sleep a few hours, but if it's a good night's rest, then they feel like they slept a full night. You might want to get a new bed as that helps with a good night's rest.

Answer 3

different people can get by with less sleep but despite what people will tell you, you can not catch up on sleep once it is lost then that's it.

Some people can function with 4 or less a night. Whereas others need 6 or more. If your body doesn't adjust, with in a month or 2, then cut back on something.

Maybe try studying a little less or working less. But something cause if you don't then you will become irritable and not much fun to be around.

Answer 4

Many people would reply by saying a minimum of eight hours of rest. But the answer doesn't depend solely on how many hours you log in bed. Night after night, you need deep uninterrupted sleep in a bed that provides adequate comfort support and space. What matters most of all is how you feel in the morning. If you wake up full of renewed energy, you've had a good night's sleep.

There is no one formula for how much sleep is enough for you. Expecting all people to need the same amount of rest would be as absurd as expecting them to eat the same amount of food every day. Each of us seems to have an innate sleep "appetite" that is as much a part of our genetic programming as hair color, height and skin tone. Normal sleep times range from five to ten hours; the average is 7 1/2. About one or two people in one hundred can get by with just five hours; another small minority needs twice that amount.

How much sleep is enough for you? To figure out your sleep needs, keep your wake-up time the same every morning and vary your bedtimes. Are you groggy after six hours of shut-eye? Does an extra hour give your more stamina? What about an extra two hours? Since too much time in bed can make some people feel sluggish, don't assume that more is always better. Listen to your body's signals and adjust your sleep schedule to suit them.

Keep in mind that sleep needs change with age. And the older you are, the less total sleep time you may need. A newborn may spend 18 hours asleep. From infancy to adulthood, sleep decreases by more than half. Throughout the middle decades of life, seven or eight hours of sleep generally are needed to provide adequate rest. For older individuals, six hours may suffice.

Answer 5

Don't ever take the sleeping pills route!!

1. They will damage your liver big time and you can get into serious health problems.

2. You will get hooked up on them and you won't be able to have a normal life any more if you don't take your pills everyday.

The sleeping pills industry is damaging our health by capitalizing on our ignorance, and by distracting people from effective and natural ways to deal with this problem. I had been taking prescription sleep medications [Ambien] for over 5 years. It stopped working and I simply took more. Still did not work. Nights were very difficult - medication put me to sleep but I would wake up after 2–3 hours with a strong sympathetic response (fast pulse, pounding heartbeat, wide awake alert). It was a very difficult cycle to break. I was really in bad shape due to lack of sleep.

After years of struggling I was able to cure my insomnia naturally and pretty fast. I followed the Sleep Tracks sleep optimization program, here is their official web -site if you want to take a look: http://www.insomniacure.net

Ohhh..and Good Luck!

Answer 6

Sleep pattern is different for each person. However, if you get older, the less sleep you need. What is important is that you feel rested and rejuvenated when you wake up no matter how short or long your sleep is. Then you can say, you had enough sleep.

Answer 7

I know i can't survive on just a few hours sleep.
It can't be good for your health in the long run.
Have you thought about talking to your G.P about your sleeping habits maybe he could advise you on how to relax and get a good nights sleep.

Good Luck

Answer 8

I'm like you , i'm very lucky if i get 6hrs sleep, my average is 4/5 hrs, i work shifts and my biggest problem is i keep pushing the boundary between fun and sleep! yes it's not good for you, i find when i get to work i'm 3/4 hrs into shift and i'm rock bottom! long term affect! if you follow my example you run into exhaustion boundaries! i HATE work with a passion and iv'e not got time for it!

Answer 9

no 5 hours sleep isn't sufficient. you should sleep at least 8 hours a day...and that at a stretch!
well even i don't sleep properly...and its not even sure for me that when i'll sleep and for how long. like last night i slept at 4 and i first woke up at 6:42, and then i just kept snoozing till 8:25 when i finally got up.

and i know this isn't healthy for me. it does affect adversely in the long run. i'm not very sure how, but it does.

but yea in today's competitive world we can't really do anything about it. we all need to educate ourselves and then work like dogs to earn. im 21. even you're young. may be when you're done with your studies and into your career...then things might be different. and hopefully you'll get to sleep better. i really hope so for me :D

Answer 10

i can survive on four hours sleep a night. If your so tired you can always catch up at the weekends or in your time off. xx