Even the heaviest sleepers will occasionally struggle to fall asleep. This can be a frustrating experience and you can end up lying in bed for hours. Plus, the next day, you are likely to feel extremely tired.
When you only get 6 hours of sleep, you might be wondering whether or not this is sufficient.
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The answer is no, it isn’t. Humans require more than 6 hours of sleep. Here are 5 important reasons why.
5 Reasons Why 6 Hours Of Sleep Is Not Enough
Your Body Needs More Sleep
Sleep allows your body to perform vital functions. It gives your body and mind the opportunity to rejuvenate themselves. Yet, lots of people don’t get enough sleep, so the human body cannot conduct these functions.
It is recommended that adults get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep. People under the age of 18 will need even more sleep, with young babies needing the most. It is advised that babies from 4 to 11 months receive 12 to 15 hours of sleep every night.
If your body does not get sufficient sleep, you can suffer from various mental and physical health problems. As a result, we suggest that you get the sufficient amount of sleep suggested for your age range.
You’ll Feel Tired During the Day
After a night of poor sleep, you will feel drowsy throughout the day. This can be detrimental to your mental health, as tiredness is not a pleasant sensation.
If you have something important the next day, such as an important meeting, then you will have an absence of energy.
This is likely to negatively affect the quality and quantity of your work. You might assume that less sleep can make you more productive, as you have more time to do things.
This is because your body won’t have enough time to recharge, resulting in your productivity being hampered.
It Will Be Difficult To Get Out Of Bed
Even when you have had a good night’s sleep, it can be hard to get out of bed and face a brand new day. Often, you have to leave the comfort of your bed to go to work, school, or college.
Yet, if you feel tired and only get 6 hours of sleep, you will have difficulty leaving your bed. This is because your body feels as though it needs more sleep. Plus, you will likely lack the energy and motivation to leave the bed.
Unfortunately, not everybody has the luxury of staying in bed all day. Therefore, you must try to get over 6 hours of sleep every night.
Your Body Will Start To Adapt
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The human body is capable of adapting to circumstances. After just a few nights of poor sleep, your body can start to acclimatize.
Therefore, if you have a few nights where you get just 6 hours of sleep in a row, your body will start to adapt. This is a result of the circadian rhythm. This is a group of changes that occur over a 24 hours.
The circadian rhythm is separate from your sleep drive. This can result in an imbalance, with your energy levels increasing and decreasing at different times than what they should.
So you might feel random surges of energy when you are trying to get more sleep.
It Will Affects Your Mental Health
It is not just the body that requires sleep, but also the brain. If you don’t get enough sleep, you can experience mental health problems.
Moreover, you might make poor decisions. Your judgment and decision-making skills will become impaired.
While anxiety surrounding bug decisions can cause sleep loss, you must find a way to get enough sleep. Otherwise, you could make poor judgments, the results of which may be catastrophic.
Why Is Sleep Important?
While you might assume that the brain is asleep, it actually remains active when your body has fallen asleep. Sleep allows your body to grow, develop, and re-energize itself.
You will find that you have more energy after a decent night of sleep. Moreover, it can allow you to heal from injuries and surgery.
A lack of sleep can lead to some serious health conditions, both physical and mental. These conditions include:
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Depression
- Strokes
To limit your chances of developing these health issues, you should attempt to get an appropriate level of sleep. We cannot stress this enough: sleep is essential. You might experience serious consequences if this issue continues.
How Much Sleep Do I Need?
As stated, the number of hours of sleep required will depend on your age group. Here is a rough guide:
| Age |
Advised Hours of Sleep |
| 0-3 months |
14 – 17 |
| 4-12 month |
12 – 15 |
| 1-2 years |
11 – 14 |
| 3-5 years |
10 – 13 |
| 6-13 years |
9 – 11 |
| 14-17 years |
8 – 10 |
| 18 years + |
7 – 9 |
The reason why people need more sleep the younger they are is because they grow more at these ages. Babies require tons of sleep because they are growing tremendously. Hence, why some babies are seemingly always sleeping.
Moreover, if your teenager seems to sleep a lot, this could be why. This is a stage in which their bodies transition from being children into adults, so they require tons of sleep.
While adults need less sleep, it is still important for them to get the right amount. Some research has shown that older adults, namely those over the age of 65, require less sleep, with an estimate being between 7 and 8 hours.
However, we still advise trying to get as much sleep as you can.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Get More Sleep?
If you are finding it hard to get enough sleep, we have a few tips for you. You should try:
- Turning off all devices. When you struggle to fall asleep, it can be tempting to turn on your phone. However, this can be a major distraction.
- Avoid any blue lights. These are created by LED screens, such as televisions and phones. Ideally, you should avoid blue lights for at least an hour before going to bed. These blue lights can hamper your body’s ability to fall asleep.
- Do something calming before bed. This can include meditation, yoga, or reading a comforting book.
- Make sure that the bedroom is at a comfortable temperature. During the summer months, you may want to use air conditioning to cool yourself down.
- Don’t nap during the day. While this might seem like a cure to sleep loss, it can interfere with your sleep cycle. As a result, you might then struggle to sleep at night.
- Steer clear of alcohol or caffeine before your bedtime.
How Much Sleep Is Needed For Muscle Growth?
If you want to grow big muscles, then you must get sufficient sleep. This is because amino acids, which build protein, are delivered into the bloodstream during sleep.
As with regular sleep, 6 hours won’t be enough. While your muscles might grow slightly, you will need at least 7 hours of sleep for noticeable muscle growth.
Final Thoughts
Sleep is essential for the human body. While you might be able to function on just 6 hours of sleep, it is recommended that you get more.
This is because there can be some serious repercussions to this sleep loss, especially if it occurs regularly. By following our advice, you can maintain a healthier sleep schedule.