The sleep need of every human being is different. Only by meeting the individual perfect time you are able to physically and mentally take full potential of your sleep. Just pause one moment before starting to calculate your personal sleep need. Because, sleep duration is only one relevant factor of the overall assessment of sleeping quality. Of course an important one.
But, it makes a huge difference on HOW you are sleeping. Here, not only the sleep duration is an influencing factor but also our habits, our lifestyle. Especially how we are handling caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, our nutrition, exercise, relaxation and much more.
So, if you are not suffering under any noteworthy disturbances of falling asleep or sleeping through and if you don’t have to struggle with the problem of waking up too early you are able to calculate your actual sleep need per night. In sleep medicine and sleep psychology there is a simple rule concerning necessary sleep duration: when you are feeling tired and sleepy during the day you possibly got too few sleep the night(s) before. Then, try to go to bed earlier and introspect whether you are feeling more awake the following day. If so, you got very close to your biologically necessary amount of sleep.
But, of course there also is a more precise but also more elaborated procedure. When trying this out it is advisable that you’re advanced in sleep coaching, that you know the rules for healthy and restful sleep and also follow them. Take one step after the other.
- According to your chronotype “owl” (night person), “lark” (morning person) or “hummingbird” (mixed type) you long since found out your ideal sleeping time. Arrange your sleeping time that you are able to sleep at least eight hours before you have to get up again.
- Stick to your sleeping time and observe at what time you eventually are going to wake up by yourself or whether the alarm clock is waking you up.
- In case your alarm clock woke you note how you are feeling. Still tired, halfway slept off or actually well rested and coming alive quicker than usual.
- In case your alarm clock woke you and you still feel tired and struggle to get up, try to go to bed 30 minutes earlier.
- In case you are feeling well rested and fit at the waking time chosen and after eight hours of sleep, try to go to bed 15 minutes later the following night. Closely introspect whether you still fell slept off the next morning. By shortening or extending your sleep by 15 minutes you will find out your personal sleep need approximately accurate.
- Now, after having found out your actual necessary sleep duration you are able to calculate your sleep debt. Take the sleep duration needed and deduct the actual sleep duration. The remaining number is your current and personal sleep debt.
Receive further information in our sleep-healthy-guidebook “sleep yourself young, fit and successful”, free of cost.
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