Is sleeping less than 8 hours alright if you wake up naturally?

[reece1932]

Hello,

 

I am on day 13 now.  The pound shedding hasn't kicked in yet and hoping I am not doing something wrong.  (I do know this is not the main point of the program.)

 

One thing I have noticed is the affect on my sleep.  Early one, I started being able to fall asleep easier.  I went through a few days of needing to nap.  In the last couple of days, I have started waking up before the alarm.  My alarm is set for 6:10,  Two days, I woke up at 5:30, and this morning I woke up at 4:30.  

 

Corresponding these to the approximate time I fell asleep, I am getting around 7 hours of sleep and functioning throughout the day without any major fatigue. (I am getting sleepy now at 8:30).  If I am waking up naturally, is it likely that 7 hours is all the sleep my body needs at least right now?  Should I try to do something to sleep more (although I am not sure how I do that)?

 

Thanks bunches,

 

Emily

[GoJo09]

I don't think there's any one-size-fits-all amount of sleep needed - if you're waking up rested and falling asleep easily, then I don't think there is a problem with it - 8hrs isn't a magic number, just a general guideline. Although, if you're being woken by dawn or birds chirping, that might mean you're not actually waking naturally, you're being woken, and you'd need to go to sleep earlier (or wear ear plugs/eye mask) to really test the number of hours needed.

[reece1932]

Thanks for the feedback, GoJo09.   I figured that 8 hours is not an exact prescription but didn't know if other people experienced this and actually is not a good thing.

 

As for being woken up, I don't think that is what has happened the last few days.  Meow Meows (aka Maribelle) has woken me up super early before.  The past three days it has definitely been me and as far as I can tell, there no other stimulation.  This morning, I am not positive that I wouldn't have fallen back asleep if the kitty cat didn't wake up and think walking back and forth on my chest was a fun idea.  Still I didn't feel drowsy and got up easily.  

 

I will continue to observe to see if this continues and my overall energy levels.  That said, I am now super tired and ready for bed.  Thanks for turning me into an "old woman" Whole 30:)  What have you done with my night owl behaviors??

[Guest Andria]

I am the same way. I wake naturally at 5:30 am, some mornings, after estimating that i fell asleep around 10:30 pm, so 7 hrs of sleep. There are some days when I am extra tired and sleep naturally until 6:30 (erm, this happens when I have gone to bed way to late the night before). Either way, I will have good energy on those days.

 

I have read some that "everyone needs 8 hrs of sleep' is a myth.  Obviously, some or a lot of people do, but not everyone.  I definitely think it is a good thing for people to strive for the 8 hrs, until they can figure out what is best for their body, since most people are sleep deprived.

[reece1932]

Nice to know i am not the only one, Andria.  Before starting the whole 30, I was certainly one of the sleep deprived, even if I got 7 hours of sleep.  But here I am up again after 7 hours.

[missmary]

Many things will cause people to wake up "naturally" after less sleep than is optimal for their body; Cortisol imbalance, for example can result in waking up at all kinds of odd hours. I would not take that as enough evidence that you are getting all the sleep you need.

 

 

7 hours isn't terrible, but not enough sleep can catch up with you after a while. It's great that you feel good now, but pay attention as time goes on. You may find you need more sleep or are able to sleep more as your hormones get better balanced. If that happens, be flexible and honor your body.