Study Finds 4-6 Hours Sleep Per Night Works for “Elite Sleepers”

News on Sleep

That’s a new one. Elite Sleepers. And, who knew? I thought we were all supposed to sleep 8 hours per night.

Mine has been averaging more like 7 and, even though I could find 7-9 hours on the internet, I always felt a little funny about doing 7 not 8. Now I don’t, not anymore.

March 18^th (the day I wrote this post) is National Sleep Day, and March is National Sleep Awareness Month. Hence, lots of news out today on Sleep, and this one really interested me because it lets me off the hook.

And maybe you too. But not everyone is an “Elite Sleeper,” just because they are only getting 4 hours per night. It’s the quality of that sleep that counts, and the results the next day.

What the UC San Francisco researchers found is that Elite Sleepers, who can function just fine on 4-6 hours sleep, have something called Familial Natural Short Sleep (FNSS). The researchers already identified 5 genes associated with FNSS, which they say runs in families and has the potential to stave off Dementia, and potentially other diseases.

I had heard before that 6.5 hours/night was better than 7-9, but never that 4 hours per night could be perfectly okay for people with the said genes.

This is very good news, especially if you suffer wake-up worries. 

Good News for Wake-Up Worry

Clients have described in detail what happens every morning, just as they are waking up and before they get out of bed. It is as if they have an every day visit from their demons, their negative intrusive thoughts, always there, first thing in the morning, trying to ruin the day.

The 2022 Global Sleep Surveys reported that 45% of workers said they got more sleep working from home, and 48% of those who do work from home said they thought they it would be harder to get up once they do return to the office.

Commuting, or dread of commuting, or dread of whatever the day may bring, can contribute to these wake-up worries that plague some people every day.

From Dr Elena Touroni of The Chelsea Psychology Clinic:

And it turns out there’s a scientific reason why anxiety can be so common in the morning for some. “For most people, the stress hormone cortisol is highest in the first hour upon waking, helping us to stay alert and focused in the morning,” says Elena. “However, going to bed feeling anxious can cause cortisol levels to spike too early, which might lead you to wake up with a racing mind. Blood sugar levels are also lower first thing in the morning, which can trigger anxiety for those who are prone to it.”

So how we go to bed matters a lot, and we will get to that next. But I am just thrilled to learn that we don’t all necessarily need 8 hours sleep.

This means that—if and when you don’t like your morning thoughts—you can just get up! Doesn’t matter how many hours you have been at it. You don’t have to stay there and put up with that. “Wake Up/Get Up,” as I’ve heard the Advaita Vedantists say.

Now, what can we do the night before to help set us up for a great day, each and every day? 

Sleep Preparation

This quick list below is adapted from an earlier post, reporting on Hougaard and Carter’s study of 35,000 CEOs and their sleep;

• “Catch the melatonin wave.” The window of opportunity is when you start to feel drowsy around 10-11pm.

• “Avoid Screens.” You know this already.

• “Enjoy only perceptual activities 60 minutes before bed.” Not activities that require conceptual thinking like intense conversations. 

• “Avoid eating two hours before bed.” So we don’t activate blood and sugar flow, which keeps us alert and awake. 

• “Practice five minutes of mindfulness when you go to bed.” 

For the mindfulness suggestion, if you haven’t already, please do help yourself to the “Power Breathing” and “Breathing Room” exercises on my website. On the Home Page scroll down to the “Complimentary…” box at https:/madelaineweiss.com/

Pleasant dreams,

Madelaine

Photo by Pixels – Pixabay