How much sleep do you need? How to find your sleep number

How much sleep do you need?  Working out your personal Sleep number

As humans we are encoded with an individual genetic makeup for how much sleep we need. 7-9 hours should be optimal for most people. Some of us thrive on less sleep whilst others struggle if they don’t get 9+ hours. There is such a thing as too much sleep or too little sleep and both have a significant impact on our physical and mental state. As a rule, humans experience 90 minutes of sleep per cycle with our sleep broken into 4 cycles. Refer to the sleep Physiology section to understand these cycles.

 It is important to work out how much sleep you require to be at your best both physically and cognitively.  Find your sleep number by using this strategy below.

This is best done when you have a few weeks leave to sort as initially you may feel more tired but it is still worth doing. As a general rule, the amount of sleep we have during a break is a good indicator of our “true” sleep needs

Sleep number Strategy: 

Week 1 – sleep for strictly 7 hours. 

Week 2 – Sleep for strictly 8 hours 

Week 3 – Sleep for strictly 9 hours. 

It is important not to vary from these times for the period you are trialing as it will undermine the purpose of the trial.

Keep a daily journal and note down subtle changes or improvements for each period. It may be improved word recall or conversations, general wellness, increased motivation, waking more alert, noticeable change in demeanour either good or bad. Many partners comment on this change.

Whichever sleep timeframe you felt at your best in the morning and during the day  is your desired sleep number. You may be surprised at the results.  I was. 

Cheers