The myth of the eight-hour sleep

**KarissaMann05** · 02-23-2012, 11:48 PM

Quote:

We often worry about lying awake in the middle of the night - but it could be good for you. A growing body of evidence from both science and history suggests that the eight-hour sleep may be unnatural.

In the early 1990s, psychiatrist Thomas Wehr conducted an experiment in which a group of people were plunged into darkness for 14 hours every day for a month.

It took some time for their sleep to regulate but by the fourth week the subjects had settled into a very distinct sleeping pattern. They slept first for four hours, then woke for one or two hours before falling into a second four-hour sleep.

Though sleep scientists were impressed by the study, among the general public the idea that we must sleep for eight consecutive hours persists.

(Read more...)

Hmm. Interesting. What is your thought on this one, AD'ers?

**Jiro** · 02-23-2012, 11:58 PM

just like me - I sleep 12+ hours once a week and 4-5 hrs everyday (now about 5-6 hrs since I'm getting old)

rockin'robin · 02-24-2012, 12:22 AM

I average 5-6 hours sleep, 7 nights a week. It's not consistent, tho', and if I'm particularly stressed/tired from lack of sleep and tennitus, I take a nap (15-30 minutes) during the day if possible....Then that throws my sleeping pattern off and I'll be up all night to the wee hours....(like tonight).

Used to love to sleep as much as possible, then some....but as you age, seems you sleep less....and look like hell in the AM when you wake up....

....besides, there's no life before coffee!

**KarissaMann05** · 02-24-2012, 09:28 AM

Yeah. That explains my sleep patterns. I tend to wake up in middle night, sometimes. It is usually 2-4AM. Sometimes, I actually sleep all night. I guess I will have two sleeps for every day, maybe.

DeafTim · 02-27-2012, 11:34 PM

I sleep 8 hrs a day. Lets say I only have 6 hrs of sleep and then I will take a nap. If I get a full night of rest, I usually dont take naps unless it's summer. Long hours,ya know. Like today, I woke up to use the bathroom. I hate that. I usually dont drink anything two hrs before bedtime.

**Smithtr** · 02-28-2012, 02:50 AM

sometimes I can't sleep hard fail on sleep stress my mental difficult can't sleep addict computer serious!!

almost to 8 almost to 7 hours

drphil · 02-28-2012, 12:30 PM

Supposed a way of "falling to sleep from excess mind activity"-soak in hot tub for a while.
Old folk legend?

rockin'robin · 02-28-2012, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drphil

Supposed a way of "falling to sleep from excess mind activity"-soak in hot tub for a while.
Old folk legend?

Done that and never again....fell asleep in the hob tub and woke up to freezing water!...

**TXgolfer** · 02-28-2012, 01:44 PM

I sleep 6 hours a night now. I feel sick if I sleep more than that.

kokonut · 03-01-2012, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TXgolfer

I sleep 6 hours a night now. I feel sick if I sleep more than that.

I sleep between 5 and 6 hours. I rarely get 7 hours if I want to sleep in. Just can't sleep any more longer. Also, I don't use alarms to wake myself up, either. I just "program" myself to wake up before a certain time if I have to. And going to sleep has never been a problem for me after I learned a trick many years back during my graduate student days.

rockin'robin · 03-01-2012, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kokonut

I sleep between 5 and 6 hours. I rarely get 7 hours if I want to sleep in. Just can't sleep any more longer. Also, I don't use alarms to wake myself up, either. I just "program" myself to wake up before a certain time if I have to. And going to sleep has never been a problem for me after I learned a trick many years back during my graduate student days.

What's the trick?....And do you suffer from tennitis/musical tennitis?

kokonut · 03-01-2012, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockin'robin

What's the trick?....And do you suffer from tennitis/musical tennitis?

Nope, nothing like that. The trick is to focus on a single memory of your life that you find it to be calm and peaceful while as a little child. A time you remember it vividly. Focus only on that image/scene. This will take practice. It took me a month to finally get it down where all I had to do was to focus on my image and off to sleep I go. This works when you find yourself thinking too much in bed trying to sleep and have a lot on your mind to realize this and revert to the single scene and it'd take me 5 to 10 minutes to finally go to sleep. The process becomes almost automatic as soon as you do this because you trained your brain to get ready to right to sleep. In all those years I cannot remember a time when I had trouble going to sleep.

rockin'robin · 03-01-2012, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kokonut

Nope, nothing like that. The trick is to focus on a single memory of your life that you find it to be calm and peaceful while as a little child. A time you remember it vividly. Focus only on that image/scene. This will take practice. It took me a month to finally get it down where all I had to do was to focus on my image and off to sleep I go. This works when you find yourself thinking too much in bed trying to sleep and have a lot on your mind to realize this and revert to the single scene and it'd take me 5 to 10 minutes to finally go to sleep. The process becomes almost automatic as soon as you do this because you trained your brain to get ready to right to sleep. In all those years I cannot remember a time when I had trouble going to sleep.

Worth trying!...The image that popped up into my mind were when I was about 7, running thru the swaying daffodils in the wind, I loved those flowers a lot (for some reason)....Hope Angel (Angle) reads this, as she just became totally deaf and has severe tennitis and can't sleep.....just might work for her.

kokonut · 03-01-2012, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockin'robin

Worth trying!...The image that popped up into my mind were when I was about 7, running thru the swaying daffodils in the wind, I loved those flowers a lot (for some reason)....Hope Angel (Angle) reads this, as she just became totally deaf and has severe tennitis and can't sleep.....just might work for her.

Interesting. My image was when I was about 8 I was on an alpine mountain meadow on Mt. Rainier during the early summer on a bright, warm sunny day with me standing amongst a whole bunch of those colorful mountain wildflowers all around me. What a beautiful sight it was.

02-23-2012, 11:58 PM	#2 (permalink)
Jiro Aparecium Deletrius Legil Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: The Soprano State Posts: 60,517	just like me - I sleep 12+ hours once a week and 4-5 hrs everyday (now about 5-6 hrs since I'm getting old) __________________ - Don't forget to buy Jiro's Special Edition Sunglasses for $19.95

02-24-2012, 12:22 AM	#3 (permalink)
rockin'robin Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 15,296	I average 5-6 hours sleep, 7 nights a week. It's not consistent, tho', and if I'm particularly stressed/tired from lack of sleep and tennitus, I take a nap (15-30 minutes) during the day if possible....Then that throws my sleeping pattern off and I'll be up all night to the wee hours....(like tonight). Used to love to sleep as much as possible, then some....but as you age, seems you sleep less....and look like hell in the AM when you wake up........besides, there's no life before coffee! Tousi likes this.

02-27-2012, 11:34 PM	#5 (permalink)
DeafTim Registered User Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Utica,OH Posts: 2,327	I sleep 8 hrs a day. Lets say I only have 6 hrs of sleep and then I will take a nap. If I get a full night of rest, I usually dont take naps unless it's summer. Long hours,ya know. Like today, I woke up to use the bathroom. I hate that. I usually dont drink anything two hrs before bedtime. __________________ It might be,it could be...It is! A homerun! HOLY COW!! Harry Caray Mitt: I have 5 point plan President Obama: Mitt doesnt have 5 point plan, He has one point plan! (ZINGER) Mitt Romney is a scam!!

02-28-2012, 02:50 AM	#6 (permalink)
Smithtr Siberian Husky Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 14,679	sometimes I can't sleep hard fail on sleep stress my mental difficult can't sleep addict computer serious!! almost to 8 almost to 7 hours __________________

02-28-2012, 12:30 PM	#7 (permalink)
drphil Registered User Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Toronto Ontario Posts: 4,115	Supposed a way of "falling to sleep from excess mind activity"-soak in hot tub for a while. Old folk legend? __________________ Get Real:Implanted Sunnybrook/Toronto -Advanced Bionics-Harmony activated Aug/07

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02-24-2012, 09:28 AM	#4 (permalink)
KarissaMann05 Premium Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Salem, Oregon Posts: 6,381	Yeah. That explains my sleep patterns. I tend to wake up in middle night, sometimes. It is usually 2-4AM. Sometimes, I actually sleep all night. I guess I will have two sleeps for every day, maybe.

02-28-2012, 01:44 PM	#9 (permalink)
TXgolfer Dream Weaver Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Everywhere Posts: 17,637	I sleep 6 hours a night now. I feel sick if I sleep more than that. __________________ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12:21 Sometimes at night, I see their faces. I feel the traces they've left on my soul

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