Asking Yourself How Much Sleep Do I Need?

The quality of sleep that you get is important. The higher the quality of your sleep, the less you may need to be fully rested. The amount of sleep you need is also affected by something called sleep "hygiene." Basically, this refers to various lifestyle choices you make every day that can have an impact on your sleep. These choices include things like the amount of caffeine you consume, the amount of exercise you get, and whether or not you smoke or drink alcohol.

One thing you can be sure of, though, is that our sleep needs are individual. Here's a good way to visualize what's going on: you are genetically programmed to need a certain amount of sleep each night. Then, depending on your behavior, you may increase or reduce that required amount. When you make choices that negatively affect your sleep quality, you begin to build a sleep debt. Making better choices can reduce your need for sleep.