How much sleep is too much?

[TyCooN]

Why is it that we feel more tired wehn we over sleep?

 

[pdeng]

It's because oversleeping messes up your internal clock (so you wake up at a weird moment in your sleep cycle) which explains crankiness or lethargy.

 

[IUtoSLU]

For me, there is no such thing as 'over'-sleeping.

 

[kenosis]

Usually 9 hours or more for me...

 

[StopPolloition]

Over 8 hours typically. I try not to sleep over 6 or 7 hours.

 

[MLIW]

I think as a rule of thumb around 7-8 hours is the correct amount but i usually take 9-10!

 

[MetroStyles]

I usually sleep 7 but I definitely feel best on 8-9.

 

[ryoneo]

9-10 is overkill for my body. Usually 6-7 is the average that I get.

 

[matadorpoeta]

you don't need more than 8 hours per day.

 

[gdl203]

Understanding and timing your sleep cycles is more important IMO than just the duration. I feel better after a 6 hour sleep than a 7 hour sleep for example.

 

[Dewey]

in my experience the need is not daily, but so much in a three or four day window. i can be fine on 3 hours sleep on monday morning if i got 12 hours the night before, etc.

i'd also guess that your sleep need depends a lot on the amount of stress / change you are enduring. and your age. if you are mr. old routine it's probably less than if you are mr. young chaos

 

[uhurit]

Once I visited a Hare Krishna commune. The PR lady there, one of the full-time residents, insisted that 4 hours a night, is a maximum amount to be allowed. Anything more than that has detrimental effect on your body/brain

 

[cheessus]

5-6 is optimal for me. Anything over 7 kills my day. I actually do better if I sleep less than 5 hours a night than if I sleep more than 7-8, if that makes any sense.

 

[Eagle]

I'm not sure it's as much an issue of too much sleep but rather, maintaining a set schedule. Try to go to bed and get up at the same times each day. On those days I am up late, I've found I still have to rise at the normal time (0430 hrs). Otherwise, I get up with a headache that persists, it seems, into the early afternoon. I've found it better to occasionally sacrifice a few hours of sleep to avoid the headache! My normal practice is to attempt to get five to six hours of sleep, daily.

 

[dj.sessions]

I've read about a scientific research in a electronic spanish newspaper that humans only need from 6 to 7 hours so the brain could rest, our bodies dont need that much time to recover.