How Much Sleep do YOU need?

[Melmoth]

Is anyone else also mostly nocturnal here?

Mostly. A circadian "rhythm" it is not, in my case. More of an "occasional, sporadic clattering noise."  My problem is similar to Semaestro's except his is worse, by the sound of things. My mind deteriorates quickly enough (he says three days, which is impressive) but I've never been particularly worried about dying. I've only heard of one sleep disorder than can keep you awake long enough to kill you, and I don't have that.

Kind of sucky really. Insomnia is one of those problems that, in addition to making it near impossible to work regular hours or function generally, can attract a lot of fraud. So many people have issues with their sleep and - as far as chronic, lifelong insomnia goes - there is no cure. You pick a medication and expect to be on it for the rest of your life, essentially. So people are desperate, which means the discerning among them have to sift for real solutions in an ocean of bullshit, put there to prey on that desperation. Even real doctors, after throwing every prescription drug under the sun at you and finding this still isn't enough to make you leave them alone, will start telling you comforting lies.

[Jimmy]

On weekdays I get around 3, 4 or 5 hours of sleep if I'm lucky. I don't take day naps, so the main problem with this is that it accumulates, and by Friday I feel like a zombie.

I try to make up for it during the weekends though, so in the long term it hasn't really affected me that much yet.

Bravo to you if you are able sleep 3-5 hours on most days! But that sounds insane! My eyes would be bloodshot by day three for sure    I used to get 5-6 hours a night during the time my oldest daughter was 0-2 yrs old because my evening shifts  were late, and opposite of my wife's, and I had to get up early after having worked the evening the night before, so she could go to work in the morning. The weekends weren't much better. My wife and I would even compete with each other for sleep. "No it's MY turn!! But, You just had a nap!!" ....LOL......I don't know how I did it...oh yeah, 4 cups of coffee per day  Good thing I had enough working brain cells to remember to take LOTS of photos, because unfortunately, I can barely remember those first couple of years.  Although I could still  use a little more sleep, it is much better now! I don't even drink coffee anymore, just decaf, sometimes. Now I squeeze a nap in every now and again and that helps a little. Naps ROCK!!

Yeah, but I'm starting to feel the toll of it. Thing is I've been switching days for nights for so long now that my biological clock must've altered and it's difficult to get back to normal. ???

Out of curiousity's sake, have you ever tried going to sleep by listening to meditation music? It might work, since that sort of music alters people's brain waves.

I also drink quite a bit of caffeine but in the form of soda and not coffee. Certainly doesn't help.

Well I used to listen to calm, classical music to help me, but the daylight just does me in and keeps me up  ???  Usually, when I work overnights it is due to someone calling in sick, and so I end up working a double. I usually work from 2pm to 1030, which is my normal shift, and that will extend until 6 or 7 the next morning, which I don't mind because the extra pay is good:) However, I have little time to prepare for it by catching sleep before work and since I can only sleep for a few hours the next day, I  usually compensate by hitting the hay mid-evening, and so although I don't ACTUALLY catch back up, I feel the best doing it that way  ^_^ Thank goodness I don't have to do THAT too often

[DeterminedJuliet]

I also drink quite a bit of caffeine but in the form of soda and not coffee. Certainly doesn't help.

I've found, in the last couple of years, that I cannot have caffiene after mid-day or it'll screw up my sleep. When I was a teenager, I could drink 5 cups of coffee and go right to bed without a problem, but somewhere in my early 20s, I started getting sensitive to it.

Even now, if I have something caffeinated from 3pm onward, it makes my brain all crazy when I try to go to sleep. 

[Jimmy]

I also drink quite a bit of caffeine but in the form of soda and not coffee. Certainly doesn't help.

I've found, in the last couple of years, that I cannot have caffiene after mid-day or it'll screw up my sleep. When I was a teenager, I could drink 5 cups of coffee and go right to bed without a problem, but somewhere in my early 20s, I started getting sensitive to it.

Even now, if I have something caffeinated from 3pm onward, it makes my brain all crazy when I try to go to sleep. 

I had to stop drinking anything caffeinated for the same reasons. Drinking decaf kind of tricks by brain into thinking I'm getting coffee and I'm not drinking nearly the same number of cups. Whereas  drinking regular made me need MORE regular, especially after the "down" I would get, in which I would often drink it too late in the day. Having coffee six to nine hours before bed WILL keep me from falling right asleep. Now I don't have that trouble because I'm allowed to naturally become sleepy

[Jimmy]

Yay! Another overnight shift$$$ I just may have to break my no caffeine rule, but jello cake has courteously been left for me. Coffee or cake? Hmmmm....

One thing is for certain: No sleep tonight!!

[Amicale]

Yay! Another overnight shift$$$ I just may have to break my no caffeine rule, but jello cake has courteously been left for me. Coffee or cake? Hmmmm....

One thing is for certain: No sleep tonight!!

Is it an either or question? Coffee AND cake! 

Hang in there!

[Jimmy]

Yay! Another overnight shift$$$ I just may have to break my no caffeine rule, but jello cake has courteously been left for me. Coffee or cake? Hmmmm....

One thing is for certain: No sleep tonight!!

Is it an either or question? Coffee AND cake! 

Hang in there!

Not sure how to do a bouncy smilie, but that would be me on BOTH!!!

I'm bouncy as it is...lol

[Amicale]

Yay! Another overnight shift$$$ I just may have to break my no caffeine rule, but jello cake has courteously been left for me. Coffee or cake? Hmmmm....

One thing is for certain: No sleep tonight!!

Is it an either or question? Coffee AND cake! 

Hang in there!

Not sure how to do a bouncy smilie, but that would be me on BOTH!!!

I'm bouncy as it is...lol

LOL, I understand that! Sugar AND coffee? Suuuuper bouncy here!

Just picture Tigger. Drinking coffee, to stay away. Hyper!

[Jimmy]

That would be Hilarious! And dangerous! See, not a good combo :)Now Eeyore, he could use a pick me up! Imagine a bouncy Eeyore!!

[Amicale]

That would be Hilarious! And dangerous! See, not a good combo :)Now Eeyore, he could use a pick me up! Imagine a bouncy Eeyore!!

Yikes! 

I love Eeyore just as he is!

[xSilverPhinx]

Tough luck, is the pay worth it at least? Hang in there

Anyways, what Amicale said. Cake and coffee is the only viable option.

[Jimmy]

Tough luck, is the pay worth it at least? Hang in there

Anyways, what Amicale said. Cake and coffee is the only viable option.

Thanks! pay's good enough I suppose...lol, AND I made it through without either!!! Imagine that 

[Unlinked]

Tough luck, is the pay worth it at least? Hang in there

Anyways, what Amicale said. Cake and coffee is the only viable option.

Thanks! pay's good enough I suppose...lol, AND I made it through without either!!! Imagine that 

Gasp! No cake? No coffee? Aww! D'8

I can sleep for 12 hours straight, but a good chunk of that is probably my dependence on caffeine. I've already become used to having a cup of black tea every morning, and I stay groggy for the rest of the day if I don't get any. I've functioned for 24 hours with no sleep before, but I tried doing something similar while adding a lot of caffeine once... it was not pretty. Long story short, it looked like I was high, sporadic laughter included.

[54Quix45]

I remember the partying days of my early 20's and sleeping anywhere from 10-14 hours. Those days sure were fun . I've never really needed a whole lot of sleep. I can operate on 4 hours but six is ideal. Sleeping late to me is 7 hours. I have to watch what time I go to bed. If I go to sleep too early I'll wake up very, very early. Just the other night I accidentally fell asleep at 10pm and was up by 2:30. On those nights, I have a tough decision to make, either stay up til time to go to work or force myself back to sleep and end up possibly over sleeping. I try to go to sleep at about 1am and wake up at about 6am. That is perfect for me. I still wake up early on weekends but I do take naps. Weekend naps are the bestest!!! 

[Guardian85]

Usually I get by on 5-7 hours of sleep, but if I have been working nights for a while I will eventually do a 12 hour stint just to get my head back on straight.