I’m interested to know how much sleep you all get and how it makes you feel?

I start work at 5am, which means I would have to get up around 3:30 to have enough time to shower, walk the dog and then travel the 50 mins to work. I would say most nights I would get a maximum of 5 hours sleep. I didn’t feel that great on it and by the end of the week I was absolutely shattered. Yet I’d brag about getting by with such little sleep.

After listening to Dr. Matthew Walker on the Joe Rogan podcast I was pretty concerned about the possible damage I was doing to myself (if you haven’t listened then there’s a link below). So for the last 6 weeks or so I’ve been trying really hard to get a minimum of 7 hours of decent sleep, which meant going to bed at what seemed like a ridiculously early hour and not being on my phone/ipad/TV for at least an hour before bed. I have to say that was the hardest part to get used to as I’d often put something on to fall asleep to.
I have been tracking my sleep with my garmin watch (I know it’s not that accurate) and I have gone from an average of 4.4 hours to 6.8 and I am really feeling the benefits. I’m more alert, have more energy and have even lost a bit of weight (though I have been making more of an effort to eat better).

It’s a really interesting listen if you’ve not heard it and really blew my mind just how important getting a good nights sleep is for pretty much everything.

I always try and aim for an average of 8 hours a night, for the whole week. usually it’s a little bit less Monday to Friday, but gets topped up at the weekend.

I feel pretty groggy if I get less than 7 hours. 6 or less I feel rubbish, almost hungover.

I don’t get enough really. I can feel like I can function on about 5 – 6 hours, and seem to routinely get around 6, but I find it backs up and i’ll start falling asleep as soon as I sit somewhere comfy…I can’t sit through a movie at the cinema these days, so really need to get into the habit of getting an hour or so more. I FEEL fine, don’t feel drowsy, feel alert, energetic and can concentrate on tasks, but as soon as I sit and relax i’m out like a light.

When traveling with work a combination of just working longer hours and losing sleep due to time zone differences it’s not unusual for me to get only about 3 or 4 hours a day, but that is only for a week to ten days so find I can get through it…also means by the time I get on the plane to fly home i’m out like a light, so makes those long haul flights a doddle.

I have to get around 7.5 on weeknights and 8+ on weekends. Slept 10:30- 4am last night and feel like absolute shit today.
(Apologies in advance to the STW community for the grumpy posts I will no doubt be responsible for today)

7.5 hours during the week, 8.5 at the weekends.

Creature of habit. I go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time each morning.

I used to be the same and try and make up for it at weekends. Not that I’d ever make up the hours I’d lost in the week.
He does mention on the podcast that you can’t really catch up on sleep though and consistency is the key.

I try for about 8 hours. I very, very rarely get that during the week though as I find it difficult to switch off at night, so usually end up dropping off at about 2330 or so. When the alarm goes off at 0615 it is always too early.

6 hrs a night without fail, straight out like a light, if I fall asleep at 10 I’ll be up at 4 with no chance of getting back to sleep.

I’m no doctor but I make sure I get my 8 hours,I think a good nights sleep is fundamental to good health.

According to Garmin, 8.5 – 9.0hrs over the last few weeks. Seems very wrong to be measuring stuff like this, then having it go up the pipe to a central server 🙂
Might start just using the watch for running…

5-6 hrs is all I’ve needed for the past 30 years or so. If I have a lie-in I often end up with a migraine.

Very rarely less than 8 hours, if I can help it. Sleep is as important as exercise and a healthy diet in my view. I generally sleep quite well, only struggling if I have something worth worrying about – then I quite often wake after a few hours and struggle to stop going over things.

It’s so important and can have a big effect on weight gain too. I get 7 to 9 hours most of the time. Your previous setup sounded horrendous! If I have an early start for some reason I make sure everything is done the night before (pack lunch, shower whatever else) so as to maximise time in bed in the morning then I can be up and out in 30 mins with time for tea and toast.

Shorter podcast

I listened to him on the Fresh Air podcast, sure it’ll be a bit shorter than Joe Rogans podcast. The bit I remember is not being able to catch up at the weekend. I wake at the same time regardless of the day and my main issue is getting to bed early enough.

Monday to Friday, between 5 and 6.
More at weekend.

Between 6.5 to 7.5 hours a night I think – maybe an extra hour on the weekend depending on whether jr has slept in!

Got less last week as there was some good TV I wanted to watch that I tried to squeeze in. That left me feeling pants!

Usually 2-3 nights of 5 hours followed by a night of 10hrs plus.

7 – 8 hours usually. No screen time an hour before I want to go to sleep (I don’t count my Kindle ‘cos it’s not backlit) and I’m generally out like a light as soon as I stop reading.

At the moment it’s a bit broken as Mrs Monkey is due to give birth any day now and isn’t sleeping brilliantly – and it’s only going to get worse from here on in. The spare room is all set up and ready…

Varies:

4 of 7 nights I get 8, 2 nights I get about 5 with waking up at 3am’ish, the other night is probably 6-7hrs.

When away in the week I take sleeping pills and use ear buds to block out sound, some hotels I stay in a very noisy between 7-9pm and that’s when I try to settle down to sleep.

Same as scotroutes* 5-6 hrs but no migraines,I always like the idea of a lie in,but they just don’t work for me.
*we are not sleeping together

However long I sleep I can always manage more. During the week I aim for 8 hours (up at 6:30), though that may sometimes drop to 7 on the odd day. Retirement will soon mean an extra hour or so in bed in the mornings which should, I hope, help me get up a bit earlier on weekends.

7.5 hours during the week, 8.5 at the weekends.

Creature of habit. I go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time each morning.

Apart from weekends?

Apart from weekends?

….where I get up at the same time on each day at the weekend, but you already knew that.

Still don’t add up.

My Wife would sleep 9-10 hours a night if she could, if she’s disturbed at all by the kids or whatever it’s the end of the world!

I sleep pretty much 7.5 hours every night, it’s enough to keep me sharp.

One thing I know isn’t good for you is my old sleeping patern.

Wake a 07:00, work for 08:00, work till 18:00, pass out in my work clothes from 18:30 to about 20:30, change, eat, watch shit on TV / Game still about 02:00, sort of half-sleep, half doze till 07:00 repeat.

I’m usually 6-7 hours, if I have a few nights closer to 6 hours I tend to nod off a bit in the evening.

According to Garmin I average about 7hr to 7hr20 over the last few weeks. Seems to be enough although more would always be welcome. Up at around 6.15 normally during the week except Tuesdays when I’m up at 4.30 to drive down to the Midlands for work.
I stay in a hotel 2 nights a week with work and struggle to get to sleep. It’s either poor discipline, different environment or being in a bed on my own that just doesn’t feel right even though I’ve been doing it for a few years.

bed for 11, up for 7. so about 7.5 hours.

only time I struggle to sleep is on a Saturday, when I have a drink. terrible broken sleep that night.

5-6 weekdays, maybe 7 on Saturday if i’m riding (i still get up early) and then catch up on Sunday. Its not ideal.

5 hours at best most nights, with a good 8 or 9 hour reset at the weekend…

I never feel that tired come bedtime, but getting up is hard work. I force myself to ‘lights out’ at 11:30 during the week but I know it must be gone midnight by the time I drop off. Alarm is set for 5am. If I just sat watching TV till I fell asleep it would be much later before I nodded off. I know I need more kip, but I feel like going to bed any earlier is a waste of my evenings!

I think the biggest thing I took from it is that when you are sleep deprived you don’t know that you are and sleeping less than 7 hours is very detrimental to your health and you cannot catch up on sleeping less in the week by sleeping longer at the weekend.
I could function on the max 5 hours I was getting. I’d feel tired but I could get through the day without nodding off at my desk. It wasn’t until I listened to the podcast which happened to coincide with being off work for a couple of weeks over Christmas and sleeping over 8 hours a night, that I realised just how tired I really was.

Normally about 5 hours, but I’ve been trying to change it to get more as like everyone here, I’ve felt the benefits.

Plus it’s sodding freezing at the mo and it’s cosier in bed.

3-4 hours average I guess. Slept good last night though.
I try too hard to sleep, am in bed 9hours mainly, just dont sleep
Probably get 2-3nights a week with 6hrs max, but I’ve been like this for many years and just have to live with it. Id love to get 7hrs each night

only time I struggle to sleep is on a Saturday, when I have a drink. terrible broken sleep that night.

One of the reasons I don’t bother any more.

Nobeer by name….. 🙂

I sleep much better after booze. Try to avoid it as a solution, but it works for me when I drink.
Even had a night out last year and had to sleep in the same bed as a (male) friend and slept the whole night! Naked too ( <- not really 😀 )

Interesting programme about sleep on Radio 4, “Don’t tell me the score” episode 12.

I haven’t tried the discussed method specifically, it uses 90 minute blocks of sleep/rest, but can say I’ve noticed some some similarities when I’ve had very early starts for example. So there might be something in it!

Have a listen, I’m not going to explain very well. Or it might just send you to sleep anyway…

7 – 7.5 hours in the week. But broken sleep. Very light sleeper yet have the gift of falling to sleep easily means mornings are hard. I can be eating breakfast, shut my eyes and I’m out for an hour on the table.

My Garmin tells me that I typically get 7.5 hours of sleep, although this tends to be slightly higher in winter and lower in summer.

I occasionally struggle with waking too early and, because I’m an early bird anyway, I just tend to get up even if I’ve tried getting back to sleep.

In general, I’m ok on a single night disturbed sleep – but only if I’ve otherwise been sleeping well that week. I also know from having kids that I can survive on 5 hours in extremis!

What Drumon said.

I’ve noticed my pattern is in 90 minute blocks. If I have 4.5 or 6 or 7.5 hours then I’m generally fine. If I break my sleep part way though, 5 or 7 hours I generally feel like shit.

My work pattern doesn’t help at all though. Continental shifts. 2 days, 2 nights, 4 off. I need to be up at 5am on the two days, then lie in before my first night, which I struggle to do because I tend to be so busy on the day shifts I’m over tired and don’t sleep well, then I get a 7.5 hour sleep before my last night, followed by 4.5 hours. I find the night shifts easier TBH.

I’ve not long got up, I had 9 hours and feel properly rested.

5 – 7 hours of broken sleep. Last night went to bed at 23:00. Woke at 2:30, drifted back off about 3ish alarm woke me up at 6:00. Honestly can’t remember the last time I had 7 or 8 hours of quality unbroken sleep. We are talking years. Sometimes feel a little tired mid afternoon but seem to cope OK.