Is The Eight Hours of Sleep Rule A Myth?

If you’re like most people, you probably grew up hearing that you should be getting eight hours of sleep every night. However, how much sleep do we really need to be healthy? 

It may surprise you to learn that there isn’t any definitive scientific evidence that supports the eight-hour rule. This is according to sleep experts and scientists from all over the world. In fact, some researchers are now saying that it’s possible for some people to function on just five or six hours of sleep a night! 

So why was the eight-hour rule introduced in the first place? Well, let’s take a look at some surprising facts about sleeping. 

The eight-hour rule is a myth. 

Each person is different, and their needs for sleep are not the same. For example, some people need more than eight hours of sleep to be able to function properly during the day. Other people can get by on less than eight hours of sleep most days. In fact, many studies have shown that seven to nine hours of sleep is ideal for most people. 

However, it’s important to note that there are some exceptions: If you have a light job where you don’t need much focus during the day, then maybe six or seven hours will be sufficient for you; on the other hand, if you work in a demanding field like engineering or medicine where your brain needs all its resources focused at all times then maybe nine or ten hours would be better for your mental health (and overall functioning) as well! 

Why was the eight-hour rule introduced in the first place? 

The eight-hour sleep rule was originally introduced in the 1950s, a time when industrialization was booming, and people were working long hours. Sleep was viewed as a waste of time and something that you could do without. The average person at this point would get around six hours of sleep each night, but in order to be productive during the day and not waste too many hours on slumber, they needed to make up their deficit with eight hours at night. 

Different people need different amounts of sleep. 

It’s true that some people need more sleep than others. But it would be a mistake to assume that this means all individuals have an ideal amount of time they should spend in bed every night. In fact, many people do not get enough sleep at all—and getting some extra shut-eye can help improve their health and productivity levels. If you’re someone who needs less or more than eight hours each night, it may be worth working with your doctor or therapist to determine the right amount of sleep for you. 

Most of us don’t listen to our bodies. 

We go to bed when we feel tired, not when we are actually tired. We’re often tired because we are stressed and not because we haven’t had enough sleep. 

A lot of people have a wake-up time that is earlier than their internal clock desires, making them sleepy in the mornings. As well as this, a large number of people suffer from insomnia at some point in their lives and this can cause problems getting enough sleep as well as affect moods throughout the day. 

How much sleep do you really need? 

The amount of sleep you need is different for everyone. Although 8 hours is a good, suggested number, it depends on your age, gender and lifestyle. The best way to figure out how much sleep you need is by asking yourself these questions: 

How much sleep do I get? 

When have I had enough? (If the answer is usually “never”, chances are that’s not a good sign.) 

Am I tired during the day? 

Do I wake up feeling refreshed and energetic or do I drag myself out of bed without enthusiasm?  

If you answered yes to these questions, then your current amount of sleep is probably fine for now—but if not, then it might be time to re-evaluate your sleeping habits! 

Wrapping Up 

It’s not just about the number of hours we get each night – it’s also the timing and quality of that sleep. Many people need to make some changes in their lives to improve both their time spent in bed and their overall health. We hope you enjoyed this article and learned something about how to determine the right number of hours of sleep you should get at night. We’d like to know what you think, what are some ways that you make sure you get the right amount of sleep? How do you energize yourself in the morning when you don’t get enough rest? Let us know in the comments.  

168 comments

  2. Your style is really unique compared to other folks I have read stuff from. I appreciate you for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I’ll just book mark this web site.

    Reply

  6. After exploring a handful of the articles on your web site, I honestly appreciate your way of blogging. I added it to my bookmark site list and will be checking back in the near future. Take a look at my website as well and let me know what you think.

    Reply

  8. I blog frequently and I truly thank you for your information. The article has truly peaked my interest. I will bookmark your blog and keep checking for new information about once a week. I subscribed to your RSS feed as well.

    Reply

  9. Having read this I believed it was extremely enlightening. I appreciate you finding the time and effort to put this short article together. I once again find myself spending a lot of time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worthwhile!

    Reply

  11. I have to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this website. I really hope to check out the same high-grade content by you in the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my own, personal website now 😉

    Reply

  19. Oh my goodness! Incredible article dude! Many thanks, However I am experiencing issues with your RSS. I don’t know why I cannot subscribe to it. Is there anyone else having identical RSS problems? Anyone that knows the solution can you kindly respond? Thanks!!

    Reply

  23. A fascinating discussion is definitely worth comment. I believe that you ought to publish more on this subject, it may not be a taboo subject but generally people do not discuss these issues. To the next! Best wishes.

    Reply

  28. Aw, this was an incredibly good post. Taking the time and actual effort to create a good article… but what can I say… I put things off a whole lot and never seem to get nearly anything done.

    Reply

  48. Oh my goodness! Awesome article dude! Thank you so much, However I am encountering problems with your RSS. I don’t understand why I cannot join it. Is there anybody having identical RSS issues? Anyone that knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanx!

    Reply

  52. The very next time I read a blog, I hope that it won’t fail me just as much as this particular one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read, however I genuinely thought you would probably have something interesting to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you could possibly fix if you were not too busy seeking attention.

    Reply

  65. An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a friend who has been doing a little research on this. And he in fact ordered me dinner due to the fact that I stumbled upon it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending the time to talk about this topic here on your website.

    Reply

  76. I’m amazed, I have to admit. Rarely do I encounter a blog that’s both educative and engaging, and without a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something that not enough men and women are speaking intelligently about. I am very happy I came across this in my hunt for something regarding this.

    Reply

  85. I’m amazed, I must say. Rarely do I encounter a blog that’s equally educative and interesting, and without a doubt, you’ve hit the nail on the head. The problem is something which not enough folks are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy I stumbled across this during my search for something regarding this.

    Reply

  90. An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who has been conducting a little homework on this. And he actually bought me breakfast due to the fact that I found it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending the time to talk about this subject here on your site.

    Reply

  101. I was extremely pleased to discover this page. I wanted to thank you for ones time for this particularly wonderful read!! I definitely really liked every little bit of it and i also have you saved as a favorite to check out new information on your site.

    Reply

  104. An interesting discussion is definitely worth comment. I believe that you should write more on this subject, it may not be a taboo subject but typically people do not talk about these subjects. To the next! All the best.

    Reply

  110. Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon on a daily basis. It’s always interesting to read articles from other writers and use something from their web sites.

    Reply

  111. Good day! I could have sworn I’ve been to this website before but after browsing through a few of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m certainly happy I stumbled upon it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back frequently!

    Reply

  114. I have to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this website. I really hope to view the same high-grade blog posts from you in the future as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my own website now 😉

    Reply

  118. Hi, I do believe your website might be having internet browser compatibility issues. When I take a look at your site in Safari, it looks fine however when opening in IE, it’s got some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to give you a quick heads up! Besides that, wonderful site.

    Reply

  119. Right here is the perfect website for anybody who really wants to find out about this topic. You understand so much its almost tough to argue with you (not that I actually will need to…HaHa). You certainly put a brand new spin on a subject which has been written about for many years. Wonderful stuff, just great.

    Reply

  125. Hi, I do think this is a great website. I stumbledupon it 😉 I will revisit once again since i have book marked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide other people.

    Reply

  132. Howdy! I could have sworn I’ve visited this website before but after looking at many of the posts I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m certainly delighted I came across it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back regularly.

    Reply

  133. Hello! I could have sworn I’ve visited this blog before but after going through some of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely delighted I stumbled upon it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back often!

    Reply

  134. Aw, this was an exceptionally good post. Finding the time and actual effort to produce a good article… but what can I say… I put things off a whole lot and don’t seem to get anything done.

    Reply

  138. You made some good points there. I checked on the web for more information about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this web site.

    Reply

  139. The very next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesn’t fail me just as much as this particular one. After all, I know it was my choice to read, however I actually believed you would probably have something helpful to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something you can fix if you weren’t too busy seeking attention.

    Reply

  141. Hi, I do think this is an excellent web site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I’m going to come back yet again since I book-marked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide others.

    Reply

  143. The next time I read a blog, Hopefully it does not fail me just as much as this particular one. I mean, Yes, it was my choice to read, however I truly believed you would have something interesting to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of complaining about something you can fix if you were not too busy looking for attention.

    Reply

  145. Hi, I do believe this is a great web site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I will come back yet again since i have saved as a favorite it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide others.

    Reply

  149. I would like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this website. I’m hoping to check out the same high-grade blog posts from you in the future as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my own blog now 😉

    Reply

  152. You are so cool! I don’t suppose I’ve read through anything like that before. So wonderful to discover somebody with original thoughts on this topic. Seriously.. thank you for starting this up. This website is something that is required on the web, someone with some originality.

    Reply

  155. Hi, I do believe this is an excellent website. I stumbledupon it 😉 I’m going to revisit yet again since I bookmarked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide other people.

    Reply

  157. Hi there! This article could not be written any better! Looking at this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He continually kept preaching about this. I will send this information to him. Fairly certain he will have a great read. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *