The need for at least 8 hours of sleep is frequently repeated in the medical community. Since it is an essential building block for the body’s recovery, sleep is something you should ideally not compromise with, even if it means interrupting your favorite show and sleeping through the night to get the sleep you need for the next day.
Also read: Pumpkin Seeds for Better Sleep: A Complete Guide on Their Nutritional Value and How to Include Them in Your Diet
But is 8 hours of sleep really enough? If this is the perfect mark for waking up refreshed, why do some people still feel lazy? Is this even possible?
Turns out, it really is. Addressing this, Dr. Christopher J. Allen, a physician of sleep medicine and pediatric neurology with 20 years in the medical field, shared in an Oct. 20 Instagram post how getting 8 hours of sleep doesn’t always correlate to good sleep. Rather, he emphasized, “You don’t need more sleep. You need better sleep.”
When can 8 hours of sleep become a problem?
How do you know if, despite getting enough sleep, your sleep quality is still poor? As the doctor said, the quality of sleep matters, if not more than the duration. So sticking to an 8-hour schedule does not guarantee quality sleep. Unknown disorders can also hinder your rest.
The doctor explained, “Many people, when they actually get 8 hours of sleep, they claim to be even more tired. So let’s talk about why that’s possible – when you fall asleep, you should be getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep. And when you wake up, you should be feeling alert, you should be feeling refreshed. But if you don’t do that and wake up with a dry mouth, even a headache, So that’s a problem.”
two things have to be done
The sleep expert suggested two steps to get to the root of the problem. Sleep duration is important, but you need to look at sleep behavior to identify what is interfering with your sleep quality.
“You can talk to your bed partner, see if you’re snoring, pauses in breathing. And then you can see a sleep provider like me because what I’m going to do is make sure that we evaluate if you have a sleep disorder and really make sure that you feel rested when you wake up,” said Dr. Christopher J. Allen.
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them. This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
