Is it true that adults need eight hours of sleep each night?
I often hear that it is crucial for adults to obtain eight hours of sleep, as it is considered important and beneficial to the human body. Yet my question remains: Is eight hours truly essential, or does the ideal amount vary from person to person?
According to two articles I recently read, there is substantial evidence that chronic sleep deprivation can lead to serious health consequences. These include an increased risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. The authors also noted that insufficient sleep is associated with higher rates of hypertension, kidney disease, and diabetes, as well as a greater likelihood of mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
Though all of these reasons sound reasonable in specifying the health problems associated with sleep deprivation, they have not yet convinced me that 8 hours of sleep is essential to all adults. I personally believe that the sleep quantity varies depending on the individual's lifetime and work schedule. From infant up to teenager, it is achievable for people to obtain more sleep compared to their early adult lives. Going into college, I often hear my friends and classmates complain about their lack of sleep due to their business having to balance their school and work schedules.
Many of the college students have to work outside of school hours, mostly during the evening shifts, and tend to get home pretty late. I know students who get back from work close to midnight, and this makes it more difficult for them to get a full 8 hours of sleep if they were to have a class early in the morning. The majority of us don’t frequently receive 7-8 hours of sleep on a regular basis but more of the number 5-6 hours of sleep. I must admit that the fewer sleep hours really affect our attention and sometimes our performance in class. Due to this reason, whenever school breaks arrive, we are very excited with the idea of sleeping in and catching up with sleep for days.
References
Kee, C. (2024, October 31). Is 8 Hours of Sleep Every Night Enough? Today Show. https://www.today.com/health/sleep/is-8-hours-of-sleep-enough-rcna120635
Solan, M., & LeWine, H. E. (2023, October 30). How much sleep do you actually need? Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-sleep-do-you-actually-need-202310302986
I like how you addressed both what science says and your personal experiences with sleep. I agree with you that 8 hours of sleep every night is not essential for all adults. Some days it is not possible to get 7-8 hours of sleep, and I have gone many days getting 5 hours or less. I would say that it does not affect my athletic or academic performance when I am at practice or class that day, but I imagine that being sleep deprived will negatively affect me in the long run. Given that I am able to function well on less than 5 hours, it is easy to ignore the fact that I should be getting 7-8 hours. Regarding the research you mentioned, I wish there were more studies that specifically studied the long term effects of being sleep deprived in your college years. I wonder how long you have to be sleep deprived to be considered chronic?
ReplyDeleteThis ties into my longitudinal challenge with sleep! I've been trying to get about 7 hours of sleep eeryday but sometimes my body just doesnt accept it. Over break I thought it was interesting to think that I was getting about 12 hours of sleep a day but it could be that my body is compensating for the lack of sleep the past cpuiple of weeks. I definitely think that the amount of sleep that a person gets can vayr deepnding on other factors in their life.
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