Take a vacation from your alarm clock
To really find out what your individual sleep needs are, do the following experiment for at least two weeks:
- Pick the same bedtime every night.
- Turn off your alarm.
- Record the time you wake up.
You may sleep longer during the first few days, but over the course of a few weeks, a pattern will emerge of how much sleep your body needs each night.
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Sleep needs vary from person to person. Age, genetics, lifestyle, and environment all play a role.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults need 7-9 hours of sleep a night. People who sleep seven hours a night are healthier and live longer. While the guideline is helpful, you are the best person to judge how much sleep you need.
If you often feel tired, your body is telling you that it's not getting enough sleep.
If you're getting eight hours of sleep a night but still feel tired, you may be suffering from a sleep disorder or interrupted sleep.
A sleep diary will give you important insights into your sleep habits.
For one week, write down:
- The time you go to bed and the time you wake up.
- The number of hours you sleep and whether you took naps or woke up during the night.
- Notice how you feel in the morning—refreshed or fatigued?
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Our bodies follow a certain circadian rhythm that relies on us following a consistent sleeping time.
One can use the morning sunrise as an anchor to your wake time. Having a fixed time also builds a sleep drive gradually, as the body gets in the habit of falling asleep at the same time at night.
- Try to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day;
- Avoid sleeping in, even on weekends;
- Limit naps to 15 to 20 minutes in the early afternoon;
- Fight after-dinner drowsiness. If you get sleepy way before your bedtime, get off the couch and do something mildly stimulating.
- It’s not unusual to wake up feeling a bit groggy. For many people, it’s nothing a cup of coffee or shower can’t fix.
- Chances are, your morning grogginess is just sleep inertia, which is a normal part of the waking process. Your brain typically doesn’t instantly wake up after sleeping. It transitions gradually to a wakeful state.
- During this transition period, you may feel groggy or disoriented. If you aren’t careful, you can easily fall back asleep.
- Sleep inertia slows down your motor and cognitive skills, which is why it sometimes feels impossible to do anything right after you wake up.