Spring Break
How Much Sleep Is Really Enough?
Emily Abbate
Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: Focus
"I probably sleep four to five hours a night," said Charles Driza, a 6th-semester finance major. "I really don't think I need any more than that, my body's pretty much adapted to it."
"Most young adults report sleeping about seven and a half hours on weekday nights and eight and a half hours on weekend nights," according to webmd.com. "The common recommendation is eight hours a night. But individual needs vary greatly. There are so-called short-sleepers and long-sleepers-those who need as little as five and a half hours to as much as about nine and a half hours."
But the amount of sleep you get isn't everything, according to msnbc.msn.com. Making sure that you get good quality sleep is just as important. "It's not just the quantity of sleep that's counts, but also the quality," said Dr. Judith Reichman on the Web site. According to Reichman, to feel fully rested, your brain must go through five phases of sleep. If these phases are interrupted you will feel tired in the morning.
"When I don't get enough sleep, I'm a zombie the next day," said Aaron Roy, a 6th-semester political science and journalism double major. "So instead I end up sleeping on the job or in class."
According to webmd. The amount of sleep you require depends on several things. These include: "Your inherited genetic need, your sleep hygiene (those daily activities you control, from drinking coffee or alcohol to smoking and exercise), the quality of your sleep, and your 24-hour daily cycle known as the circadian rhythm."
Contact Emily Abbate at
Emily.Abbate@UConn.edu
"Most young adults report sleeping about seven and a half hours on weekday nights and eight and a half hours on weekend nights," according to webmd.com. "The common recommendation is eight hours a night. But individual needs vary greatly. There are so-called short-sleepers and long-sleepers-those who need as little as five and a half hours to as much as about nine and a half hours."
But the amount of sleep you get isn't everything, according to msnbc.msn.com. Making sure that you get good quality sleep is just as important. "It's not just the quantity of sleep that's counts, but also the quality," said Dr. Judith Reichman on the Web site. According to Reichman, to feel fully rested, your brain must go through five phases of sleep. If these phases are interrupted you will feel tired in the morning.
"When I don't get enough sleep, I'm a zombie the next day," said Aaron Roy, a 6th-semester political science and journalism double major. "So instead I end up sleeping on the job or in class."
According to webmd. The amount of sleep you require depends on several things. These include: "Your inherited genetic need, your sleep hygiene (those daily activities you control, from drinking coffee or alcohol to smoking and exercise), the quality of your sleep, and your 24-hour daily cycle known as the circadian rhythm."
Contact Emily Abbate at
Emily.Abbate@UConn.edu
Be the first to comment on this story