{"id":30461,"date":"2023-07-18T09:07:28","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T07:07:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=148297"},"modified":"2023-07-18T09:38:26","modified_gmt":"2023-07-18T07:38:26","slug":"could-6-hours-of-sleep-be-enough-for-you-a-professor-explains","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/could-6-hours-of-sleep-be-enough-for-you-a-professor-explains\/","title":{"rendered":"Could 6 hours of sleep be enough for you? A professor explains"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hunter-gatherers seemed to get away with around six hours of sleep a night, but how do modern humans fare with that much shut-eye? <\/p>

By Patrick Pester\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 18 July 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

We\u2019ve all wondered whether we\u2019re getting enough sleep<\/a>. You wake up feeling sluggish and try to shuffle to the kettle before somebody engages you in conversation. Eight hours of sleep a night may be a luxury you can\u2019t afford. But is six hours really that bad?<\/p>\n

While hunter-gatherers may have only averaged just 6.4 hours of sleep a night<\/a>, experts say that this simply doesn\u2019t cut it for most modern humans.<\/p>\n

The US National Sleep Foundation<\/a> recommends adults have 7-9 hours of sleep each night. They have a good reason for saying this, but it\u2019s not a rule that will apply to everyone.<\/p>\n

Recommended sleep hours<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The recommended amount of sleep is, as per the Sleep Foundation\u2026<\/p>\n
Age range<\/th>\n Recommended hours of sleep<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr><\/thead>
4-12 months<\/td>\n 12-16 hours (including naps)<\/td>\n<\/tr>
1-2 years<\/td>\n 11-14 hours (including naps)<\/td>\n<\/tr>
3-5 years<\/td>\n 10-13 hours (including naps)<\/td>\n<\/tr>
6-12 years<\/td>\n 9-12 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>
13-18 years<\/td>\n 8-10 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>
18 years and older<\/td>\n 7 hours or more<\/td>\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
Does everyone need the same amount of sleep?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
No, not every person will need the same amount of sleep each night.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot only do some people need more sleep than others, but sleep requirements change throughout the life course,\u201d Alice Gregory<\/a>, a professor of psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London and author of Nodding Off<\/em>, explains to BBC Science Focus.<\/em><\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, a toddler will need roughly 11-14 hours of sleep, whereas older adults need around 7-8 hours per night. It is also the case that sleep requirements can vary under certain circumstances \u2013 during periods of illness, for example.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n
What does sleep do for the brain?<\/a><\/li>\n
How hidden \u2018overtiredness\u2019 is ruining your sleep \u2013 and how to fix it<\/a><\/li>\n
Can\u2019t stop your brain racing at 3am? Try these suggestions from a GP<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
Can I get by with six hours of sleep?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Whether you can get by on less than the National Sleep Foundation recommendations for your age group \u2013 and none of them drop as low as six hours \u2013 comes down to the body you\u2019re born into.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor some individuals, obtaining six hours of sleep per night may<\/em> be enough,\u201d Gregory says.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn addition to the sleep length recommendations, the National Sleep Foundation emphasises individual differences and notes that slightly less or more sleep than the published recommendations may be appropriate for some people.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are some short sleepers who have been dealt a good genetic hand and can do perfectly well on around six hours of sleep. But the emphasis here is on \u2018some\u2019. And if we\u2019re talking less than six hours, then the likelihood of it being healthy drops considerably.<\/p>\n
Matthew Walker<\/a>, a professor of neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley, talked about people getting less than six hours on the BBC Science Focus<\/em> Instant Genius<\/em> podcast<\/a> in 2021, and it\u2019s not good news.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that the number of people who can survive on less than six hours of sleep and show no impairment in either the brain or the body, rounded to a whole number and expressed as a per cent of the population, is actually zero,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n
How much sleep do I need?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Sleep researchers have been trying to figure out how much sleep we need, which is where the National Sleep Foundation recommendations come from. Gregory said that\u2019s the place to start if you\u2019re concerned.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you think you are not getting an appropriate amount of sleep, you might want to gradually adjust your sleep length,\u201d Gregory said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou may want to slowly increase the amount of sleep you get if you struggle to wake up in the morning, need lots of caffeine to get going or are sleepy and performing poorly during the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
In short, if you feel<\/em> like you haven\u2019t got enough sleep and you wake up feeling lethargic, you\u2019re shut-eye has likely been too short. However, if you\u2019re able to wake up without an alarm, and in a reasonably good mood \u2013 and not craving caffeine \u2013 you\u2019re likely getting enough.<\/p>\n
While it may seem obvious when we haven\u2019t slept enough, it\u2019s worth also noting that our brains can overestimate our ability to function on less than sufficient sleep.<\/p>\n
On the Instant Genius <\/i>podcast, Walker said: \u201cYour subjective sense of how well you\u2019re doing when you are not getting enough sleep is a miserable predictor of objectively how you\u2019re doing when you\u2019re not getting sufficient sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n
Walker uses the analogy of a drunk diver who\u2019s had a few drinks at a bar and thinks they\u2019re fine to drive home. Objectively, they aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the problem with sleep deprivation as well, we don\u2019t know that we are insufficiently slept when we are not getting sufficient sleep,\u201d Walker adds<\/p>\n
Can you die if you don\u2019t get enough sleep?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\nNot getting enough sleep is associated with a range of health issues, from high blood pressure to heart attacks<\/a>. While prolonged sleep deprivation is known to be fatal, even losing an hour from our sleep cycle can potentially have a big impact.<\/p>\n
A 2014 study published in the journal Open Heart <\/em>found a 24 per cent increase in the number of heart attacks<\/a> on the day after we lose an hour of sleep in the spring due to Daylight Saving Time.<\/p>\n
The researchers couldn\u2019t say for sure why Daylight Saving Time may be increasing heart attack risk<\/a>, but the day after the time changes is a Monday, and the hour loss may have compounded other factors such as the stress of going back to work and a change in our sleep cycle at the beginning of the week.<\/p>\n

\n
About our expert<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Alice Gregory is a professor of psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London and author of several sleep books, including Nodding Off<\/em> (Bloombury, 2018), The Gift of Sleep: 50 Tips for a Good Night\u2019s Rest <\/em>(Laurence King Publishing, 2023) and The Sleepy Pebble and Other Stories <\/em>(Flying Eye Books, 2019).\u00a0<\/p>\n
Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
Why do I always find things to do late at night?<\/a><\/li>\n
Getting a good night\u2019s sleep may help to protect you from heart disease and stroke<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p><\/div> <\/section> <\/body><\/html>\n
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Age range<\/th>\n	Recommended hours of sleep<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr><\/thead>
4-12 months<\/td>\n	12-16 hours (including naps)<\/td>\n<\/tr>
1-2 years<\/td>\n	11-14 hours (including naps)<\/td>\n<\/tr>
3-5 years<\/td>\n	10-13 hours (including naps)<\/td>\n<\/tr>
6-12 years<\/td>\n	9-12 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>
13-18 years<\/td>\n	8-10 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>
18 years and older<\/td>\n	7 hours or more<\/td>\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> Does everyone need the same amount of sleep?<\/strong><\/h2>\n No, not every person will need the same amount of sleep each night.<\/p>\n \u201cNot only do some people need more sleep than others, but sleep requirements change throughout the life course,\u201d Alice Gregory<\/a>, a professor of psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London and author of Nodding Off<\/em>, explains to BBC Science Focus.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cFor example, a toddler will need roughly 11-14 hours of sleep, whereas older adults need around 7-8 hours per night. It is also the case that sleep requirements can vary under certain circumstances \u2013 during periods of illness, for example.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n What does sleep do for the brain?<\/a><\/li>\n How hidden \u2018overtiredness\u2019 is ruining your sleep \u2013 and how to fix it<\/a><\/li>\n Can\u2019t stop your brain racing at 3am? Try these suggestions from a GP<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul> Can I get by with six hours of sleep?<\/strong><\/h2>\n Whether you can get by on less than the National Sleep Foundation recommendations for your age group \u2013 and none of them drop as low as six hours \u2013 comes down to the body you\u2019re born into.<\/p>\n \u201cFor some individuals, obtaining six hours of sleep per night may<\/em> be enough,\u201d Gregory says.<\/p>\n \u201cIn addition to the sleep length recommendations, the National Sleep Foundation emphasises individual differences and notes that slightly less or more sleep than the published recommendations may be appropriate for some people.\u201d<\/p>\n There are some short sleepers who have been dealt a good genetic hand and can do perfectly well on around six hours of sleep. But the emphasis here is on \u2018some\u2019. And if we\u2019re talking less than six hours, then the likelihood of it being healthy drops considerably.<\/p>\n Matthew Walker<\/a>, a professor of neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley, talked about people getting less than six hours on the BBC Science Focus<\/em> Instant Genius<\/em> podcast<\/a> in 2021, and it\u2019s not good news.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that the number of people who can survive on less than six hours of sleep and show no impairment in either the brain or the body, rounded to a whole number and expressed as a per cent of the population, is actually zero,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n How much sleep do I need?<\/strong><\/h2>\n Sleep researchers have been trying to figure out how much sleep we need, which is where the National Sleep Foundation recommendations come from. Gregory said that\u2019s the place to start if you\u2019re concerned.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you think you are not getting an appropriate amount of sleep, you might want to gradually adjust your sleep length,\u201d Gregory said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou may want to slowly increase the amount of sleep you get if you struggle to wake up in the morning, need lots of caffeine to get going or are sleepy and performing poorly during the day.\u201d<\/p>\n In short, if you feel<\/em> like you haven\u2019t got enough sleep and you wake up feeling lethargic, you\u2019re shut-eye has likely been too short. However, if you\u2019re able to wake up without an alarm, and in a reasonably good mood \u2013 and not craving caffeine \u2013 you\u2019re likely getting enough.<\/p>\n While it may seem obvious when we haven\u2019t slept enough, it\u2019s worth also noting that our brains can overestimate our ability to function on less than sufficient sleep.<\/p>\n On the Instant Genius <\/i>podcast, Walker said: \u201cYour subjective sense of how well you\u2019re doing when you are not getting enough sleep is a miserable predictor of objectively how you\u2019re doing when you\u2019re not getting sufficient sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n Walker uses the analogy of a drunk diver who\u2019s had a few drinks at a bar and thinks they\u2019re fine to drive home. Objectively, they aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the problem with sleep deprivation as well, we don\u2019t know that we are insufficiently slept when we are not getting sufficient sleep,\u201d Walker adds<\/p>\n Can you die if you don\u2019t get enough sleep?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\nNot getting enough sleep is associated with a range of health issues, from high blood pressure to heart attacks<\/a>. While prolonged sleep deprivation is known to be fatal, even losing an hour from our sleep cycle can potentially have a big impact.<\/p>\n A 2014 study published in the journal Open Heart <\/em>found a 24 per cent increase in the number of heart attacks<\/a> on the day after we lose an hour of sleep in the spring due to Daylight Saving Time.<\/p>\n The researchers couldn\u2019t say for sure why Daylight Saving Time may be increasing heart attack risk<\/a>, but the day after the time changes is a Monday, and the hour loss may have compounded other factors such as the stress of going back to work and a change in our sleep cycle at the beginning of the week.<\/p>\n \n About our expert<\/strong><\/h4>\n Alice Gregory is a professor of psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London and author of several sleep books, including Nodding Off<\/em> (Bloombury, 2018), The Gift of Sleep: 50 Tips for a Good Night\u2019s Rest <\/em>(Laurence King Publishing, 2023) and The Sleepy Pebble and Other Stories <\/em>(Flying Eye Books, 2019).\u00a0<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n \n Why do I always find things to do late at night?<\/a><\/li>\n Getting a good night\u2019s sleep may help to protect you from heart disease and stroke<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> <\/body><\/html>\n ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hunter-gatherers seemed to get away with around six hours of sleep a night, but how do modern humans fare with that much shut-eye? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"template":"","categories":[54],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Hunter-gatherers seemed to get away with around six hours of sleep a night, but how do modern humans fare with that much shut-eye?","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/30461"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}