8 Hours of Sleep – Wanna JOIN Me?
I’m doing a little experiment and I thought you all might want to join me. READY?
I am attempting to get 8 hours of sleep each night. I want to see how long of a streak I can go sleeping 8 hours each night. So far, I’m at 4 nights in a row. And, I have to tell you… I feel like a different person today.
WHY 8 HOURS of SLEEP?
Honestly, I’ve been googling this… why does 8 hours of sleep matter? I’ve heard that it is the optimal amount of sleep to be healthy. But, then I’ve also read reports that say people only need 6-7 hours of sleep. And, some super stars only need 5. (I laugh at this.) I do think that people function differently. A lot of things go into this “hours of sleep factor”. Without being a scientist, I’ll guess that genetics, age, health, and maybe even biology have something to do with the “optimal” amount of sleep.
So, I’m focusing on 8 hours because:
a) it sounds like the right number for me
b) I think that not sleeping enough may result in me work harder not smarter – I want to know how much more capable I am
c) I have read that not getting enough sleep can hinder weight loss (and well – let’s be honest I could lose a few pounds). I know that… at the very least… when I’m tired, I do not want to move from my desk let alone walk around the block.
d) I don’t remember the last 3 day stretch that I slept these many hours each night.
I’m up for the challenge!
BEFORE my CHALLENGE…
I’m one of those people that doesn’t get jet-lag traveling across 3 or 4 time zones. This is because I do not have any consistent sleep routine. I go to bed one night at midnight, the next night at 3AM, the next night at 11PM. And, I wake up at 5am, at 9am, and noon. (I only get noon every now and then on the weekends.) My mantra is: “I hate to GO to BED. But, once I’m there, I don’t want to WAKE UP.” I am a NIGHT OWL. So if I’m in bed before 3am it’s because I have forced myself to do so. (Gosh darn, I hate being a grown-up.)
For me, this challenge of sleeping 8 hours every night is monumental. Because my kid usually wakes between 7-8am on weekdays, I know I need be asleep at 11pm every night. This means I need to be in bed no later than 10:30pm to do the “falling asleep”. And, realistically, I should be in bed by 10pm to read a bit first. YOWZA. 10pm – like clockwork – I need to be in BED.
I have NO IDEA what it is like to be in bed by 10pm, asleep by 11pm and awake at 7am. LIKE CLOCKWORK.
The RESULTS, so far…
The first couple nights were ROUGH. I had a hard time falling asleep. Then, for no reason, I woke up at 3AM each night. I’m thinking my body was going thru night-owl-I-wanna-boogie withdrawal. My body was thinking that asleep by 11pm must mean it was only a disco nap… up and at’m at 3AM. I tossed and turned and finally fell back asleep around 4am.
Like trying to break any addiction, this was not going to be easy.
But then… last night… it was incredible… I slept the best I’ve slept in SO LONG. And, today, after 4 days of my 8 hour sleep-at-night streak, I woke up feeling like a new person. And, I had energy for the WHOLE day (not just for the 3 hours surrounding coffee.)
And, here’s the best part… I got SOOOO much done. I was far less distracted. I was able to focus better on the more complicated tasks. I also didn’t get cranky at all (chip, chip, chipper me!) And, because I had worked smarter, I actually had time to go on a walk – and the energy to do so.
WANNA JOIN ME?!
Sooooo… I’m gonna ask you… wanna join me? Shall we see how many days we can do in a row on this 8-hour sleep streak? Just comment down below and I’ll set something up where we can track our progress.
I had actually given this thought before. I really need to do it!
See, I don’t stay up and work into the wee hours of the morning. I’m actually a morning person. I WANT 8 hours of sleep. If only my mind would shut off.
I go through phases where I’m not sleeping (waking up in the middle of the night). But lately, *knock on wood* I’ve been doing okay. Eating regularly, getting sleep, and at least some type of modified exercise (get up and dance a bit) is key to being productive and happy.
Sun doesn’t hurt either.
This is so true! I used to be like you, but three years ago I decided to make a change, and I go to sleep right around 11 every night and get up at 7. Obviously, weekends can change this a bit, but I love being alert and ready for my day after my 8 hours!
Great challenge! Beginning on 12/13 (my first day of full-time freedom) I’m all in, sign me up.
I would LOVE to get 8 hours of sleep!!! This week I’ve been averaging 2-1/2 hours per night, but not because I’m not trying to get sleep! It’s weird! I fall asleep very easily but then wake up completely alert an hour or so later. I can either stay in bed for three hours tossing and turning or get up and do something, then go back to sleep for another hour. Ugh!! But the crazy thing is I feel GREAT! I’ve been going to the gym twice a day and playing about 3-4 hours of racquetball so I think my body is just trying to adjust. I cut out all caffiene and tried taking Melatonin but that didn’t help. I think my brain is just on overload because I have SOOOOO much editing to do! But the good news is I’m losing weight again…10 pounds in the last month. Anyway, right now I’m obsessed with trying to get more sleep, so I’ll check in with you!
Maybe this will help with “the situation 2010??” 😉
Right now I’m already getting 8 hours of sleep every night but I wake up feeling tired and loopy because I don’t have a set wake up time and I go to bed (like you Michelle) anywhere from 11pm to 2am or so. I’m also a night owl. I usually just adjust my wake up time to compensate so I still get 8 hours but the only advantage is that I feel tired and have a dull head-ache instead of feeling tired with blood-shot burning eyes. I think that the solution is to go to bed each night at 11pm and wake up at 7am like Kathryn is doing. I’ll try this out and check back with you.
I want to be challenged! I need 8 hrs… but with starting a new business I find myself up till all hours after the kids are in bed! I can do it!
Ha ha, try me in about 5 years. I have a 14-month-old and am at his mercy.
Count me in! This has been on my “fix it” list for awhile 🙂
Oh I wish I had the time to sleep 8 hours! 😉 I usually get 4-5 a night and have been going like that for oh….a few years now. Maybe one day!
I am SO in! To be fair, I love to sleep 🙂 and I already try to shoot for 6-7 hours a night. But I am like you, Michelle – not very consistent. I absolutely work much more efficiently when I get plenty of sleep, so I’m in for the challenge!
I probably have the worst sleep pattern ever.
I’ve had a couple of all nighter or 5-6AM bedtime after editing, and I found myself totally incapable of doing ANYTHING right.
I would love to do a challenge.. maybe I should….
Urgh. So many damn Wedding film to produce before X-Mas.. You know how people are.. they want people to see their wedding film when everyone get together for holiday…
I will do 8hr in 2011… at least will try for 1st quarter…
Always appreciate your awesome blog post!
This is my exact schedule! I’m in bed by 10:30 and up by 7:00 unless the garbage trucks wake me up first. I fall apart if/when I depart from the schedule at all. If I’m up past the witching hour (ie, 11:00) I’m a dysfunctional monster the next day. It was a hard lesson to learn my first year in business, and one I don’t forget often.
Glad you are also experiencing the joy of 8 hrs of sleep!
Count me in!!!!
OMG! Night owls!! Michelle! I am SO inspired by this! I end up most nights in bed between 1am and 2:30am and it is SO not good! I have recently tried over the past few weeks (great minds must think alike!!) and have set an alarm on my iPhone to let me know it is 10pm and I should be in bed by 10:30pm. Do I just ignore the alarm? Yes, of course I do! But it does help me acknowledge what time it is and it has gotten me in bed between 12am and 1am – I guess it is a start right??
Hello Michelle,
Chronic sleep deprivation is a nation-wide problem. I have heard that the majority of auto accidents are caused by people falling asleep at the wheel.
I have read that, in order to reset your sleep schedule, you should change your bed time in increments (usually aobut 15 minutes at a time)and get up at the same time each day. This has helped me some. Still need to improve. I know positively that my brain doesn’t function as well after I’ve lost sleep.