Archived Questions
Question of the Week - October 29, 2001
"How many hours of sleep are you suppose to get every night in general?"
Answer to the Question of the Week
Each individual has unique sleep requirements. Simply put, the amount of sleep needed can be measured by how much nightly sleep is needed to make you to feel refresh and alert throughout the entire day. When a person has had adequate sleep, he awakens in the morning without the need for an alarm clock.
Studies have shown that the average amount of sleep humans need for optimal alertness is 8.25 hours. However, this varies widely between individuals. A rare person may report feeling refreshed with just 2 hours of sleep, while other people may need 10 hours or more.
It is important to note that excessive sleepiness and excessive sleeping may be due to a sleep disorder, such as obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy or periodic limb movement disorder. How does one distinguish between someone with a sleep disorder from a "normal long sleeper"? If a person is sleepy regardless of the amount of sleep obtained, and displays other symptoms such as snoring or leg kicking while asleep, there is a good possibility of a sleep disorder.
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