How to tell if you are getting enough sleep

You’ve probably heard that adults need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep to feel rested.  But how much sleep is enough for you?  How can you tell?  

Most people are not getting enough sleep- so chances are you’re reading this in a (at least slightly) sleep-deprived state.  We prop ourselves up with caffeine, busy-ness, and even anxiety to push through our days. You may have been doing this for so long that you have established a new normal and would proudly tell me that you can “get by” on 5 or 6 hours of sleep per night.  But true “short sleepers” are actually quite unusual.  

Knowing how much sleep you need starts with how you feel during the day.  Assuming you sleep overnight with a fairly typical sleep schedule, assess your level of alertness mid-morning.  This is when you should feel most awake and alert without use of caffeine.  Could you take a nap around 10 or 11 am?  If you could, then you are not getting enough sleep (or enough high-quality sleep).  If you can’t imagine functioning without caffeine before noon, that is another sign that your sleep is insufficient.  An after-lunch dip in alertness is normal, but you shouldn’t be fighting your eyelids!  You should be able to stay awake during a movie in the evening.  Do you have trouble concentrating while you are reading?  Constantly battling the feeling of tired and moody?  These are other indicators that you’re not sleeping enough.  

Give yourself enough sleep opportunity (between 8 and 9 hours in bed) to take full advantage of all the things sleep can do for you.  To check out a quick measure of sleep health, see the SATED Questionnaire.