These recommendations, often from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, seem widely known. For example, people in the fitness world often emphasize that sleep is crucial for making progress. I’m curious—when did you first learn about these guidelines?
For me, it was in 6th-grade science class. They said adults need 6–8 hours, and kids need 8–10. Later, as a teen, I heard that adults supposedly feel tired enough to need 8 hours (still waiting on that to happen for me).
What’s interesting is that despite working a very active job, most of my coworkers have sleep disorders and still seem to function. I know that doesn’t “prove” sleep issues are consequence-free—I’m seeking psychiatric help for my own sleep problems.
Sleep needs are so personal. The 7–9 hours recommendation can be misleading—it creates unnecessary pressure and can even cause anxiety, making sleep issues worse. I sleep 6–8 hours depending on the day, and I feel fine.
@Laine
Good point! I had a doctor tell me once that if you’re doing everything you can to optimize sleep and still not hitting 7–9 hours but feel fine, you’re likely okay. Assuming no daytime fatigue, of course.
@Laine
7–9 hours is a solid general guideline, but sleep quality matters more. Nine hours of light, interrupted sleep isn’t ideal. Also, some people claim they function fine on 5–6 hours, but they’re often just used to operating at a lower capacity.
I first learned about sleep hygiene and the ‘8-hour rule’ during a sleep lab visit as a kid. It’s worth noting that the 7–9 hour recommendation is based on mortality data, but we’re starting to focus more on sleep quality, like the balance of REM and deep sleep. In the future, metrics like HRV (heart rate variability) could become a better way to gauge recovery and overall health than just hours slept.
I’d love to share more thoughts on this as I work in neurotech and the sleep space. If people are interested, I could post more about it here.
I first heard about sleep recommendations in primary school (around age 10 or so). Back then, adults were said to need 8 hours, while kids and teens needed more. Over time, the focus shifted to 6–8 hours for adults, but for me, anything less than 7 feels rough.
Sleep has been deprioritized in modern life—almost treated as a weakness. There’s this harmful corporate mentality of ‘sleep is for the weak,’ which can lead to burnout. More recent research shows how vital rest and relaxation are, not just sleep at night but balance throughout the day.