I am sat here after having a few beers knowing that I need to go upstairs and go to bed, but I am fighting it!

Lots of reports say you only need 7 to 8 hours sleep per night, but I disagree with this in my own experience.

Personally speaking I need about 9 to 10 hours sleep to wake up without an alarm clock and not feel tired.

How about you?

As long as I get 8 hours a few nights a week I can do with less the rest of the time, anywhere between 4-6 hours will do for me but I dont like to go below 5 if I can avoid it.
Once in a while ill sleep for 10 hours

Usually I get about 6 or 7. If i'm very lucky at the weekend I might get 9

6 hours every night A holistic type lady once told me most folks overdose on sleep when 6 to 8 hours is enough .

But I have always woke up 6 hours after going to sleep and cant ever roll over and go back to sleep .
and of course the mrs is very asleep when I wake so non of the sleep inducing activity at that time in the morning

I had under 5 last night (bed just before midnight, up at half 4), but I can function on 6 and won't say no to 10 on the weekend

Need 8. Get 5.

what CTML said!

7-8 normally – after a few beers more like 10 or 11 hours

OK on 7-8, can function on 6 but if I stay on 6 or less for long I will pick up any cough/cold/sniffle available.
9-10 is lovely when I need it and get it though 🙂

About 6, 6 and a half usually, with longer at the weekend- I can sleep for 12 hours no bother but 6 is usually enough.

Speaking of which, bedtime!

8 pretty much consistently – weekends i'm up and about 6/6.30 and in bed at 10. Fckn wild me I tell ya …

Most nights 6.5 hours before the alarm goes off. Longer at weekends, maybe an extra hour.

6 pretty consistently

during the week it's about 5 hours for 4 days out of the five, at the weekend maybe another 2 on top of that dependent on how nice my two daughters are feeling…

10 hours for me (plus the odd afternoon nap), but I'm a special case.

How much sleep I need is of no concern to my two young children. Realistically looking at 6 or 7 hours of broken sleep these days, which isn't bad really. I can function ok on that.

6hrs i can function on but i have to try hard to get out of bed ….

8 a must if been training hard or i wake up with uber sore legs

Less than 5 sees me sleep through any alarm short of a bucket of water

Most nights around 5 hours.
What kills is when one of the kids wakes me up in the middle (most nights really).
Last night was a big drinking night, and work today, so had about 3 hours.
Just had an hour lying on the grass in the park – classy, and feel better for that. Most weeks I'll get one good night's sleep (6+ hours) in somewhere. If I'm proper tired I'll join one of the kids for a midday slumber, good for both of us.
But in answer to your question, more than I'm currently getting I'd say, but strangely a few weeks back had a full 9 hour sleep one night and the next day I was less functional, if more alert. odd.

I'm sure that I read somewhere that 4-7 hours is 'needed' … and that those that sleep for more than 9 hours have shorter lives! Now that I see it written down, I'm pretty sure this little nugget was on QI, so it must be true.

I'm impressed – this thread hasn't deteriorated into the usual willy waving of I only need 3 hours of sleep & anyone who needs more is wimpy mcwimp of wimpsville.

and that those that sleep for more than 9 hours have shorter lives!

Don't know about that but…

I usually go to bed just before midnight and get up about 0630-0700, sometimes a bit later but I rarely if ever lie in. I sometimes doze for 15 mins in the day too. I reckon 7 a 'night' on average.

My wife is rarely up past half ten and will happily stay in bed until forced out by the kids. She's still in now for example, with it being holiday time / no rush to get the kids to school. That's an average of 8.5-9 per night.

Over let's say 40 years of married life, if she's averaging 1.5 hours per night = 10 hours per week = 500 hours per year = 20000 hours. Now bring that back to a 16 hour 'awake day', that is an extra 1250 days or about 4 years that I'll be awake compared to her.

If only I could get those hours in usable packets, and didn't have to spend it tidying up because she's such a lazy bint 😉

I'm impressed – this thread hasn't deteriorated into the usual willy waving of I only need 3 hours of sleep & anyone who needs more is wimpy mcwimp of wimpsville.

Margret Thatcher will be on soon. She claimed she got by on 3 hours a night.

5-6hrs, maybe another hr at the weekend here.
When kids were younger I found that if I didnt get 4hrs unbroken I'd wake up no better for it. Afternoon naps are best, I can get by on plenty less if I get an afternoon nap.

I used to get 4-5 hrs of low quality sleep in the day whilst working nights.

I've been finished them for nearly a year now and can't believe how messed up my body was, i get maybe 7-8 now and thats fine. Sometimes i have a power nap too in the arvo for good measure 😉

Need at least 8, generally get 6.5-7.

about 6-7 for me
11 – till naturally awake at about 5ish, I sleep later in winter – ie thin curtains and light ……

9 seems to be about right for me. Although I only tend to get 8. Oddly I often feel knackered during the week and look forward to the weekend for a nice lie in , only to then get up at stupid o'clock on the weekends to ride the bike – ending up with even less sleep but somehow much happier.

As to whether you feel rested once woken, isn't that in part because of Circadian Rythm?

Personally I tend to sleep around 6-7 hours a night, but knowing that I'm going to get less sleep because of my frequent early starts is easier to bear because I tell myself that I only need 4-7!

im getting about 5 at the moment! i just cant get to sleep. the old noggin wont switch off. ive tried all the herbal pills/potions and they dont work. i exercise every day and no stree at work!! i need more its starting to get to me.

I usually get 6-7. Anything less than 6 and I can't function properly.

More in the winter than the summer.

My daughter has a condition which effects her sleep (Smith magenis syndrome), she is nearly four now and we are lucky to get 4-5 hours sleep a night.

At the moment, our day starts at 4am, when she wanders into our room bright as a button 😉

More in the winter than the summer.

Same here

If I wasn't woken I'd probably sleep for 9 hours

Ordinarily, around 8, though I can sleep for longer and have survived on none for two days at a time.

Now, however, I'm under huge personal stress, so a broken 4-5 hours is all I'm getting.

But, that will set me up for the arrival of our firstborn any day now…

of course the mrs is very asleep when I wake so non of the sleep inducing activity at that time in the morning

it's funny how many women don't like to be woken at daft o'clock coz you can't sleep and need some 'help'

7ish can manage on less but not for too many nights. I know 2-4 is a bad amount of sleep for me under 2 is a refreshing nap, over 4 a decent (if short) sleep, if i wake inbetween I'll feel like death and won't be able to function. This was gleaned from many years research of late night sessions and early weekend work.

I need 8 hrs a day… And another 7 at night.

(IGMC)

As long as I get six hours sleep, I'm fine.

About 7 for me I think. Even a few months ago when I was a "filthy student" type 6-7 was fine whilst most seemed to sleep all day.

If I am left alone with no disturbance it is 10 hours almost on the dot, has been for years and it puzzles me it is so precise. Make do with around 8 most of the time. I guess biology varies between people and also what we are trained to 'make do' with.

about 7 as an average.whats weirder is when i was younger i could lie in and go back to sleep for hours.whole mornings if ness. i know cannot in any way, shape or form go back to sleep after 6-7 in the morning…but i also can go to sleep in seconds at night.head hits pillow and its good night vienna!
i think quality sleep beats quantity.when my kids first arrived and kept taking at random through the night…jees….thats punishment!