How much sleep does a person need? A question that is not easy to answer, because the need for sleep varies from person to person. While some people never sleep more than six hours during the week, others only feel really fit and rested after nine hours of sleep. Albert Einstein, for example, is said to have slept an average of 14 hours, while Napoleon allegedly only needed four hours. But despite the obvious differences in our need for sleep, we have one thing in common: sufficient sleep is vital for our bodies.
Function of sleep is controversial
Why exactly we sleep is still controversial among researchers. It is considered likely that the body and mind regenerate during sleep. Thus, the experiences of the day are sorted and stored during sleep and new nerve connections grow in the brain. Superfluous information, on the other hand, is sorted out. In addition, the immune system is said to be strengthened during sleep and damaged tissue is repaired. In addition, sufficient sleep is also said to have an effect on the metabolism: Those who sleep enough have a lower risk of developing diabetes or becoming overweight.
How much sleep is enough?
There is no blanket answer to the question of how much sleep we need. Some people get by on less sleep, while others need more sleep. The difference in sleep duration is largely genetically determined. An unmistakable indication that you have slept enough is how you feel during the day: if you feel fit and refreshed during the day – with the exception of a small midday slump – you have slept enough. Most people need between six and eight hours of sleep to be able to perform the next day. In individual cases, however, four hours may be sufficient or up to ten hours may be needed. The average sleep duration in Germany is about seven hours. If you are under particular stress, the individual sleep duration can also be longer, because the body then needs longer nightly regeneration phases. That is why it is particularly important to get enough sleep during stressful phases of life.
The quality of sleep is also important
However, how much sleep a person needs depends not only on the duration of sleep, but also on the quality of sleep. Someone who sleeps peacefully through the night needs less sleep than someone who sleeps fitfully and is plagued by sleep disorders. That is why it is assumed that “short sleepers” sleep more peacefully and thus more effectively than people with a longer sleep duration. By the way, the quality of sleep is independent of the time of sleep. Regardless of whether you go to bed at ten o’clock in the evening or two o’clock at night, your body always goes through the same sleep phases. The rumor that sleep before midnight is more restful is therefore not true. Just like sleep duration, sleep timing is also determined by genes: While “larks” are born early risers, “owls” prefer to sleep in.
Lack of sleep has serious consequences
Those who regularly sleep too little quickly suffer from a significant sleep deficit. This brings with it some far-reaching consequences:
- People who suffer from sleep deprivation age faster.
- Since their immune system can not recover sufficiently during sleep, they are more susceptible to disease.
- A sleep deficit is associated with increased fatigue, as well as a lower ability to concentrate. That is why people who suffer from sleep deprivation are also more often involved in accidents on the road. Work in the office is also more difficult: you are more irritable, more stressed and can only make decisions with difficulty.
With age, however, the duration of sleep changes: while toddlers still sleep up to 16 hours a day, the need for sleep decreases continuously thereafter. Schoolchildren should still sleep about ten hours, adolescents about nine hours. Adults, on the other hand, only sleep about seven hours on average.
Can too much sleep be harmful?
Not only too little sleep, but also too much sleep can have a negative effect on our bodies: Those who sleep too much don’t feel fresher and more alert the next morning, but often even more tired and battered than usual. But not only that, recent studies also indicate that too much sleep can be harmful. The studies from Great Britain and the U.S. suggest that long sleepers have an increased risk of both illness and mortality.However, the exact relationship between too much sleep and an increased risk of disease has not yet been clarified. It is assumed, however, that the duration of sleep influences the metabolism of the organism and that a significantly too short or too long duration of sleep can thus result in certain diseases.
