How much sleep we need and the best time to wake up have been debated since the dawn of time. As we move into autumn and the shorter days, just when should we drag ourselves from the comfort of the duvet?
Highly skilled US Navy Seals claim 4.30am is the optimum hour to open your eyes, while Hollywood and WWE wrestling legend Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson swears by an even earlier alarm call – starting his day at 3.30am. But for most working people at least, 6-8am is standard.
How much sleep should I have?
According to sleep boffins at UK firm Bed Kingdom, the calculation should be fairly simple – it depends on how much sleep your body needs and therefore what time you go to bed. Ashley Hainsworth, director of Bed Kingdom, explained: “Not getting enough sleep can put a real strain on your physical and mental wellbeing, and repeated nights of insufficient snoozing can become a major problem.“
He added: "So it’s vital to get into a routine that suits you and ensures you clock up enough hours of shuteye to support a healthy and happy lifestyle. Sleep loss, even in the short term, can affect things such as brain function, moods and memory. It also hinders your ability to learn and can force you into making impulsive decisions."
A widely shared view is that eight hours is the optimum amount of sleep for the average adult. And Ashley agrees this is a good rule of thumb as you work out when you need to turn lights out and when to awaken.
But there are also sleep cycles to consider, the body’s circadian rhythms that govern when it is best to come round. "The vast majority of people sleep in 90-minute cycles, which means you should be getting between five and six of these each night,” said Ashley.
Therefore, if you are going to bed at 11pm, you should be setting your alarm clock for 6.45am – taking into account the five cycles and also the 15 minutes it takes people on average to fall asleep. There will be some trial and error involved, but once you find a schedule that suits you should be able to adapt it slightly around your life and family.
The Sleep Council states that adults (18-65) need around seven to nine hours of slumber per night, while those over 65 need slightly less. But there are a host of well known figures who swore by less than half that amount.
Former Prime Minister Margret Thatcher famously thrived on just four hours’ kip while in office at No.10 Downing Street. Meanwhile, the inventor of electricity, Thomas Edison, scheduled only three hours of sleep per night.
