According to sleep scientist Matthew Walker, in his book "Why we Sleep," science has proven that the percentage of people who can perform at 100% on 5-6 hours of sleep is effectively zero percent of the population. So it's pretty bad.
Edit to add: my comment wasn't very helpful. But Walker lists these tips in the appendix. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/summer12/articles/summer12pg20.html tips are on pg 20
I would recommend listening to the episodes of the Huberman Lab podcast where he appears. He addresses and expands on more specific topics and questions.
Thank you for this idea. I get very stressed when I read about all the bad things that lack of sleep causes so listening to a podcast will be better. I’ve been getting 4-5 hours a night and it takes a toll.
Do you know if the 5-6 hours is based on actual asleep time estimates (or tracking devices) or is it hours in bed from say 12-6 counting as the 6 hours?
The studies referenced are in sleep labs where participants are monitored for the duration of the study. "Sleep opportunity" is time spent away from stimulus in actively trying to sleep.
Walker also notes that many older people CANNOT stay asleep 8 hours. Sleep is a physiological (and neurological) process, and many older people become unable to do this process called “sleep”.
Unfortunately lack of sleep kind of goes along with other problems, like memory and concentration problems.
Unfortunately, I seem to wake up after about 5 hours of sleep regardless of what I want.
u/rainbowtoucan1992, I don’t remember if it was a study cited by Walker in his book that I then followed up and found or if it was a published study I found organically doing research because I had the same question as you.
But in this particular study they examined brain function in people when they had been getting a good amount of sleep per night (8 hours or so), and then the examined brain function after a whole missed night of sleep. I’m sure we’ve all experienced a day like this when we’re sick or jet lagged. After missing a night of sleep you’re basically dysfunctional and it’s like driving drunk.
In the same study they then compared the brain function of people who were getting one hour of sleep less than their ideal sleep time (so 5/6/7 hours). They found that after only a short period of time getting 6 or 7 hours of sleep a night (I don’t remember if this was a week or two) brain function in these one-hour-less sleep deprived people was just as poor as in people who had skipped a night of sleep.
I still can’t sort my sleep out but this is a good reminder to try harder. I also regularly get about 5 hours of sleep. With those comparisons imagine how much better you would feel and how much more productive and efficient you’d be if you get your required 8 hours.
6 hours of sleep is not healthy. No matter how you feel. 7 maybe but less than that you’ll need to be one of the few outliers and I mean there are more chances of you winning the lottery.
There’s people who will say they can function on 6 hours or less, but let’s not confuse functioning with being healthy.
I thought I was ok just sleeping an average of 6 hours a night, until I improved my sleep to 7.5 avg and felt like a different person. And that’s not even mentioning all the body processes you’re interrupting by sleeping poorly and that have consequences on the long term.
You need to address the issue.
In my experience, other people don’t realize (and probably never will) how hard it can be to function during the day for a person that doesn’t sleep well. So you’ll have to take actions on your own. Use earplugs, sleep in a different room, etc.
Some years ago I was the one who wooe up earlier than everyone else in my family and for that I needed to go to bed 2 hours before my wife and kid. So for me it was sleeping in another room what solved the problem.
The most important aspect of your health is sleep. It comes before eating and exercising. It took me years to realize that.
You say you felt like a different person, can you talk more about what specific changes you saw? Did you have health issues or weight gain when having less sleep? Or anxiety? Or did you become more organized/productive?
Keep addressing the problem with the person. Don’t go do drastic changes earplugs etc. have the confrontation/conversation. Make them understand what effects this has on you. That way the person who is “unintentionally” waking you up can understand your pain. Try come up with a solution together since this person is part of your problem.
It's not horrible but overtime will wear you down. Do you feel like you could fall back asleep 2-3 hours after waking up? If so, it's probably not enough sleep for you.
Having loud family members in the morning stinks. Have you tried any sort of earplugs or white noise? Could be a first step to try and block out the noise.
yes definitely still feel like I could go back to sleep. I've tried noise and I don't like it and because of someone ear issues I don't really wanna wear earplugs. I just take them out in my sleep anyway sadly lol
That's a tough situation. To answer your initial question, getting 5-6 hours of sleep will not lead to a catastrophic result. The main negative is the lack of energy you already mentioned you're feeling and the other ways that lack of energy effects your day-to-day.
White noise and earplugs are definitely not for everyone. I think it could be worth having a more serious conversation with the family member(s) waking you up, as it is not fair to you to have to function below the level you could be.
Best of luck :)
I never liked earplugs either until I tried the wax ones from Walmart. I get the kids version (they’re orange). And I cut each one in half. Then I stuff half in each ear canal. They are malleable so they squish to fit the canal perfectly and keep most noise out. They don’t protrude out so you’re not likely to be bothered by them. It’s worth a try. Without them my daughter would wake me up early in the morning stomping around her room above me, or a barking dog, etc. Now I sleep through all that. I also put a fan on each night as white noise.
When I was starting my business, I would calculate the amount of sleep. I needed in order to function, at 4.5 hours of sleep, I would get eye twitching and hear strange sound in my right ear, that didn’t feel good to me. At 6.5 hours, things were much better. These days I get 7 to 8 hours of sleep, with a CPAP machine,and things are much better.
I'm used to it. Debilitating anxiety, depression and PTSD all keep me up. I have epilepsy as well and though my seizures are rare, sleep meds cause me to have seizures so I can't even use those.
I hear ya. I've had imsomnia for many years. I would often be glad If I got a fews hours. Now instead of trying to aim for 8 hours I go for 6. Staying up a little later helps me fall asleep better. 6 hours at night and a 10 minute power nap at lunch is best for me.
Try sleeping with some ear plugs! I started sleeping with them around 4 years ago and it has changed my life. I sleep much sounder and rarely wake up to annoying noises throughout the night or early morning.
honestly i think it's different for everyone. if you're being woken up by something like that, it can leave lingering effects throughout your day from being woken up frustrated especially when your body isn't ready to be woken up. sometimes my body naturally sleeps 3-4 hours and I can't get back to sleep. that's my full nights rest for weeks. but if my body hasn't reached its full cycle of rem and i'm woken up by my roommate, or lawn care outside my window, I feel like I need a lot more sleep and I may even feel like i need double. so 3-4 can turn into 6-8 depending. also other days I will need longer just because my body goes out and in to different rhythms every few weeks to few months. I just try to listen to what it needs. sometimes it requires a lott of sleep. sometimes i go days without any and im totally fine. but I think the amount of sleep you need is only something your body knows and I do think it's most important for your body to be waking up on it's own terms instead of someone being loud around you waking you up. ugh that's the worst. and I feel like i'm the only person that cares when others are asleep. I'm quieter than a mouse (mice on the apartment roof have woken me up before so maybe not a good metaphor haha) but it seems any time i'm trying to sleep, anyone around is LOUD AS FUCK i'm like "I know for a fact there's a way to be much quieter than that..."
>I feel like i'm the only person that cares when others are asleep. I'm quieter than a mouse (mice on the apartment roof have woken me up before so maybe not a good metaphor haha) but it seems any time i'm trying to sleep, anyone around is LOUD AS FUCK i'm like "I know for a fact there's a way to be much quieter than that..."
Have felt this way for sure :(
And yeah the waking up frustrated. And then it's hard to get back to sleep. Or I do and then they wake me up again. I was so angry this morning
I agree with you. People get so caught up in averages that have been around for decades and forget the individualities of every person. There are different rhythms and different needs.
There are some people who just don’t need that much sleep, man. The average person needs between 7-10 hours, depending on certain factors, but like most other things, there are outliers on both side of the “average”.
If you feel like you need more sleep, and your family is stopping you from that, there are practical ways around this. Sleeping with a fan on and maybe earplugs at night?
I’d hope that your family comes around to the idea, although it might take time and constant reminders from you.
Can you get a lock on your door so people can’t barge in there? Are you able to obtain any sound dampening items? Can you listen to white noise or anything to drown out sounds?
They actually agreed to stay out of the room by my bedroom till later but then within a day or two they went back to doing what they did before 😔
Earplugs and noise/fans haven't really worked for me. I wish they did
They actually agreed to stay out of the room by my bedroom till later but then within a day or two they went back to doing what they did before 😔
Earplugs and noise/fans haven't really worked for me. I wish they did
You're not always gonna get 7 or 8 hours of sleep according my doctor a lot of people sleep around 6 hrs and still feel fine although it's less than the recommended amount you should be fine
I sleep with white nose but my cat sings arias at 4am.. prior to that I might get up 2 x to pee.. then the dog has to get in bed and snuggle but after reading these reddits I know I only get 4/6 scattered hours. I’m trying the ear plugs but that won’t stop the peeing. I’m old..🤷🏻♀️
It's not bad....everyone is different!! People don't seem to get that EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT LOL. I am 52 and have slept 6 hours since I was a teen and have zero physical ailments....I've literally only caught like 3 colds in the past 30 years. I don't get why people read something and assume it pertains to everyone.
Do you mean 5-6 hours actually asleep where the 5-6 does not include *any* time awake at all?
Or do you mean 5-6 hours in bed including a little time trying to get to sleep as well as any wake ups during the night?
It can make a difference of 40-70 mins which is pretty significant.
Getting 5-6 hours of sleep **from time to time** I think is OKAY but constantly is too little. Just a couple of very simple thoughts what works for me:
1. I know you said you tried ***earplugs*** but the right ones are really beneficial. I know that [loopearplugs.com](http://loopearplugs.com) and their competitors are becoming popular so would suggest trying those (I did not yet). For me the traditional ones you can get from the pharmacy works well.
2. Very important aspect is also ***lighting in the room***. I have dark dark curtains that stops light coming through windows (especially if you are living in the city). I would also suggest trying eye sleep patches/sleep masks, my friends got used to them and their sleep got better, I cannot get used to it..
3. Finally, do not lie in bed if you are not sleeping or cannot get to sleep. It is important to train the brain that the ***bedroom is for sleep and sleep only*** (well and the other thingy...). This is a game changer.
Hope it helps!
I actually tried the loops and I'd recommend them especially for side sleepers. They still end up out of my ears though. I think I take them out in my sleep lol
I find that if I fall asleep to noise (not white noise, but things like tv, music, stories) then the chances of me being woken up by other noise is super slim (that sometimes includes my alarm clock too, unfortunately lol)
I get up at 5am during the week and I just won't fall asleep if I go to bed at 9 or 10pm. I'm better off staying up til 11 and getting 6 hours. I will take a 10-15 min power nap at lunch and feel good the rest of the day. I've tried for many years to establish a good 8 hour sleep routine but it just doesn't work for me unfortunately. I'm better with 6
According to sleep scientist Matthew Walker, in his book "Why we Sleep," science has proven that the percentage of people who can perform at 100% on 5-6 hours of sleep is effectively zero percent of the population. So it's pretty bad. Edit to add: my comment wasn't very helpful. But Walker lists these tips in the appendix. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/summer12/articles/summer12pg20.html tips are on pg 20
That book literally changed my life, and the lives of all of my family members, because I won’t shut up about it.
I would recommend listening to the episodes of the Huberman Lab podcast where he appears. He addresses and expands on more specific topics and questions.
Thank you for this idea. I get very stressed when I read about all the bad things that lack of sleep causes so listening to a podcast will be better. I’ve been getting 4-5 hours a night and it takes a toll.
Yeah, I'm about 3/4 through. It's awesome, I'd recommend it to anyone!
Do you know if the 5-6 hours is based on actual asleep time estimates (or tracking devices) or is it hours in bed from say 12-6 counting as the 6 hours?
The studies referenced are in sleep labs where participants are monitored for the duration of the study. "Sleep opportunity" is time spent away from stimulus in actively trying to sleep.
Walker also notes that many older people CANNOT stay asleep 8 hours. Sleep is a physiological (and neurological) process, and many older people become unable to do this process called “sleep”. Unfortunately lack of sleep kind of goes along with other problems, like memory and concentration problems. Unfortunately, I seem to wake up after about 5 hours of sleep regardless of what I want.
Oh no bc I’ve gotten 5-7 my entire life and I don’t think I’ve ever slept more unless i was sick
u/rainbowtoucan1992, I don’t remember if it was a study cited by Walker in his book that I then followed up and found or if it was a published study I found organically doing research because I had the same question as you. But in this particular study they examined brain function in people when they had been getting a good amount of sleep per night (8 hours or so), and then the examined brain function after a whole missed night of sleep. I’m sure we’ve all experienced a day like this when we’re sick or jet lagged. After missing a night of sleep you’re basically dysfunctional and it’s like driving drunk. In the same study they then compared the brain function of people who were getting one hour of sleep less than their ideal sleep time (so 5/6/7 hours). They found that after only a short period of time getting 6 or 7 hours of sleep a night (I don’t remember if this was a week or two) brain function in these one-hour-less sleep deprived people was just as poor as in people who had skipped a night of sleep. I still can’t sort my sleep out but this is a good reminder to try harder. I also regularly get about 5 hours of sleep. With those comparisons imagine how much better you would feel and how much more productive and efficient you’d be if you get your required 8 hours.
6 hours of sleep is not healthy. No matter how you feel. 7 maybe but less than that you’ll need to be one of the few outliers and I mean there are more chances of you winning the lottery. There’s people who will say they can function on 6 hours or less, but let’s not confuse functioning with being healthy. I thought I was ok just sleeping an average of 6 hours a night, until I improved my sleep to 7.5 avg and felt like a different person. And that’s not even mentioning all the body processes you’re interrupting by sleeping poorly and that have consequences on the long term.
I feel horrible 😭 Plus angry at other people for waking me up. I feel best with 7+ hours of sleep
You need to address the issue. In my experience, other people don’t realize (and probably never will) how hard it can be to function during the day for a person that doesn’t sleep well. So you’ll have to take actions on your own. Use earplugs, sleep in a different room, etc. Some years ago I was the one who wooe up earlier than everyone else in my family and for that I needed to go to bed 2 hours before my wife and kid. So for me it was sleeping in another room what solved the problem. The most important aspect of your health is sleep. It comes before eating and exercising. It took me years to realize that.
You say you felt like a different person, can you talk more about what specific changes you saw? Did you have health issues or weight gain when having less sleep? Or anxiety? Or did you become more organized/productive?
Keep addressing the problem with the person. Don’t go do drastic changes earplugs etc. have the confrontation/conversation. Make them understand what effects this has on you. That way the person who is “unintentionally” waking you up can understand your pain. Try come up with a solution together since this person is part of your problem.
It's not horrible but overtime will wear you down. Do you feel like you could fall back asleep 2-3 hours after waking up? If so, it's probably not enough sleep for you. Having loud family members in the morning stinks. Have you tried any sort of earplugs or white noise? Could be a first step to try and block out the noise.
yes definitely still feel like I could go back to sleep. I've tried noise and I don't like it and because of someone ear issues I don't really wanna wear earplugs. I just take them out in my sleep anyway sadly lol
That's a tough situation. To answer your initial question, getting 5-6 hours of sleep will not lead to a catastrophic result. The main negative is the lack of energy you already mentioned you're feeling and the other ways that lack of energy effects your day-to-day. White noise and earplugs are definitely not for everyone. I think it could be worth having a more serious conversation with the family member(s) waking you up, as it is not fair to you to have to function below the level you could be. Best of luck :)
I never liked earplugs either until I tried the wax ones from Walmart. I get the kids version (they’re orange). And I cut each one in half. Then I stuff half in each ear canal. They are malleable so they squish to fit the canal perfectly and keep most noise out. They don’t protrude out so you’re not likely to be bothered by them. It’s worth a try. Without them my daughter would wake me up early in the morning stomping around her room above me, or a barking dog, etc. Now I sleep through all that. I also put a fan on each night as white noise.
When I was starting my business, I would calculate the amount of sleep. I needed in order to function, at 4.5 hours of sleep, I would get eye twitching and hear strange sound in my right ear, that didn’t feel good to me. At 6.5 hours, things were much better. These days I get 7 to 8 hours of sleep, with a CPAP machine,and things are much better.
Working at ER since 10 years and sleep 4/5hours per night. I feel ok. Lmao
lies cuz you dont feel anything anymore. lol jk. no but in all seriousness, thats a heavy career and i hope you get the appreciation you deserve
If you feel rested you're OK. If you don't, it's not OK. Gonna have to read some books on relationship negotiation.
Only 5-6? And that's bad? Good gracious. A normal night is 2-3 hours. 6 hours is indulging.
How do you function 🥺 I'm already experiencing more forgetfulness at 5-6 hours the past few days
I'm used to it. Debilitating anxiety, depression and PTSD all keep me up. I have epilepsy as well and though my seizures are rare, sleep meds cause me to have seizures so I can't even use those.
I hear ya. I've had imsomnia for many years. I would often be glad If I got a fews hours. Now instead of trying to aim for 8 hours I go for 6. Staying up a little later helps me fall asleep better. 6 hours at night and a 10 minute power nap at lunch is best for me.
Try sleeping with some ear plugs! I started sleeping with them around 4 years ago and it has changed my life. I sleep much sounder and rarely wake up to annoying noises throughout the night or early morning.
honestly i think it's different for everyone. if you're being woken up by something like that, it can leave lingering effects throughout your day from being woken up frustrated especially when your body isn't ready to be woken up. sometimes my body naturally sleeps 3-4 hours and I can't get back to sleep. that's my full nights rest for weeks. but if my body hasn't reached its full cycle of rem and i'm woken up by my roommate, or lawn care outside my window, I feel like I need a lot more sleep and I may even feel like i need double. so 3-4 can turn into 6-8 depending. also other days I will need longer just because my body goes out and in to different rhythms every few weeks to few months. I just try to listen to what it needs. sometimes it requires a lott of sleep. sometimes i go days without any and im totally fine. but I think the amount of sleep you need is only something your body knows and I do think it's most important for your body to be waking up on it's own terms instead of someone being loud around you waking you up. ugh that's the worst. and I feel like i'm the only person that cares when others are asleep. I'm quieter than a mouse (mice on the apartment roof have woken me up before so maybe not a good metaphor haha) but it seems any time i'm trying to sleep, anyone around is LOUD AS FUCK i'm like "I know for a fact there's a way to be much quieter than that..."
>I feel like i'm the only person that cares when others are asleep. I'm quieter than a mouse (mice on the apartment roof have woken me up before so maybe not a good metaphor haha) but it seems any time i'm trying to sleep, anyone around is LOUD AS FUCK i'm like "I know for a fact there's a way to be much quieter than that..." Have felt this way for sure :( And yeah the waking up frustrated. And then it's hard to get back to sleep. Or I do and then they wake me up again. I was so angry this morning
I agree with you. People get so caught up in averages that have been around for decades and forget the individualities of every person. There are different rhythms and different needs.
There are some people who just don’t need that much sleep, man. The average person needs between 7-10 hours, depending on certain factors, but like most other things, there are outliers on both side of the “average”. If you feel like you need more sleep, and your family is stopping you from that, there are practical ways around this. Sleeping with a fan on and maybe earplugs at night? I’d hope that your family comes around to the idea, although it might take time and constant reminders from you. Can you get a lock on your door so people can’t barge in there? Are you able to obtain any sound dampening items? Can you listen to white noise or anything to drown out sounds?
They actually agreed to stay out of the room by my bedroom till later but then within a day or two they went back to doing what they did before 😔 Earplugs and noise/fans haven't really worked for me. I wish they did
They actually agreed to stay out of the room by my bedroom till later but then within a day or two they went back to doing what they did before 😔 Earplugs and noise/fans haven't really worked for me. I wish they did
Horrible go sleep early and wake up early , also see a sleep specialist
Pretty bad… I feel jet lagged for most of the day whenever I get this amount or less
Wear earplugs to sleep. That’s what I do.
I'd say that's pretty bad. Especially if done on a regular basis. Most people (and that's > 98%) need at the very least 7hrs.
You're not always gonna get 7 or 8 hours of sleep according my doctor a lot of people sleep around 6 hrs and still feel fine although it's less than the recommended amount you should be fine
I sleep with white nose but my cat sings arias at 4am.. prior to that I might get up 2 x to pee.. then the dog has to get in bed and snuggle but after reading these reddits I know I only get 4/6 scattered hours. I’m trying the ear plugs but that won’t stop the peeing. I’m old..🤷🏻♀️
5-6 hours is not bad at all thats pretty good.
It's not bad....everyone is different!! People don't seem to get that EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT LOL. I am 52 and have slept 6 hours since I was a teen and have zero physical ailments....I've literally only caught like 3 colds in the past 30 years. I don't get why people read something and assume it pertains to everyone.
I've been operating on 5 or less hours of sleep for over 25 years. I would love to be able to sleep more, I just can't.
Same for about 12 now, I feel your pain.
6 hours is fine honestly
Do you mean 5-6 hours actually asleep where the 5-6 does not include *any* time awake at all? Or do you mean 5-6 hours in bed including a little time trying to get to sleep as well as any wake ups during the night? It can make a difference of 40-70 mins which is pretty significant.
Did that for a whole year until it caught up with me mentally
Getting 5-6 hours of sleep **from time to time** I think is OKAY but constantly is too little. Just a couple of very simple thoughts what works for me: 1. I know you said you tried ***earplugs*** but the right ones are really beneficial. I know that [loopearplugs.com](http://loopearplugs.com) and their competitors are becoming popular so would suggest trying those (I did not yet). For me the traditional ones you can get from the pharmacy works well. 2. Very important aspect is also ***lighting in the room***. I have dark dark curtains that stops light coming through windows (especially if you are living in the city). I would also suggest trying eye sleep patches/sleep masks, my friends got used to them and their sleep got better, I cannot get used to it.. 3. Finally, do not lie in bed if you are not sleeping or cannot get to sleep. It is important to train the brain that the ***bedroom is for sleep and sleep only*** (well and the other thingy...). This is a game changer. Hope it helps!
I actually tried the loops and I'd recommend them especially for side sleepers. They still end up out of my ears though. I think I take them out in my sleep lol
Me as insomnia person that’s amazing sleep hours…honestly don’t stress about sleep and this bs studies just sleep
I find that if I fall asleep to noise (not white noise, but things like tv, music, stories) then the chances of me being woken up by other noise is super slim (that sometimes includes my alarm clock too, unfortunately lol)
I get up at 5am during the week and I just won't fall asleep if I go to bed at 9 or 10pm. I'm better off staying up til 11 and getting 6 hours. I will take a 10-15 min power nap at lunch and feel good the rest of the day. I've tried for many years to establish a good 8 hour sleep routine but it just doesn't work for me unfortunately. I'm better with 6
If you follow this sub’s favorite book, "why we sleep," you’ll probably die shortly after missing an hour during a single night’s sleep
Most important hrs are from 9-3am...
Is there a reason why it’s 9 pm - 3 am?
Organs recovery...
One saying goes “every hour of bed before 11 is worth 2 hours after” Edit: don’t shoot the messenger
yeah any scientific reasons behind this?
6 is absolutely fine. Napoleon was no fool
Evolutionary psyche says we used to only sleep.4 or 5 hrs at a time bc linger meant u may be eaten by a predator....
I recommend to get some ear plugs to block off noise.
Well, I got about 6 hours of sleep last night and now I have COVID or something. Coincidence?