I need too much sleep to function. Is there something wrong with me?

[GrowthandRepair]

I can get by with 8 hrs of sleep for one or two nights but if I get less than 8 hrs one night I'm useless the next day. My mental clarity is completely compromised. It's to the point that I'm afraid I'll fall asleep while driving with 7 or less hours of sleep one night.

I find that I am focused and alert with 9-10 hrs. However, it's almost impossible to get that every night.

It's making me angry because it's affecting my grades through my inability to focus and absorb material.

[GrowthandRepair]

it's also hard seeing as I have to wake up at 6 for class and I naturally wake up about 930am.

I've tried to roll back my sleep so that I fall asleep around 9 or 930pm. that worked for a while but then on the weekends i flip flop and go back to the normal 12 or 1 am bedtime.

[Lena Carpenter]

Steve's article is a great place to start:
How to Become an Early Riser

I'm also going to suggest that it might be difficult to get up for reasons, other than the amount of sleep you need. Number one is that you are not used to the routine. You get used to it by getting up daily at the same time. Second reason is if you are missing a motivation. For example, if you don't like your classes, it'd be a lot more difficult to get yourself going.

Some diet adjustments and some activities also have an influence on how much sleep you require. For me, I find that meditating lowers the need for sleep. I think Steve wrote in some article that he correlates aerobic exercise with decreased need for sleep. It's fun to experiment and find what works for you!

[Remiel]

Originally Posted by Lena Carpenter

Some diet adjustments and some activities also have an influence on how much sleep you require. For me, I find that meditating lowers the need for sleep. I think Steve wrote in some article that he correlates aerobic exercise with decreased need for sleep. It's fun to experiment and find what works for you!

I have also found that what I eat has a drastic impact on the amount of sleep that I need. Is there anything else that you are consuming like caffine or alcohol that could be affecting your sleep?

[CarolM]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned caffeine yet. Take note if that's in your daily routine. Oh too late, somebody already mentioned it.

You might also just accept that you need that kind of sleep and do everything you can to make it happen. If that means you don't take a 2 hour break in the evening, and study and do your assigned work in order to get to bed on time.

If you are certain there is no other reason for needing this much sleep, either physical or mental/emotional, then it seems a good start would be to ensure you get the required amount of sleep your body needs right now. This might not always be the case, but it seems for right now it's true. Relax, rest, and take care.

Just my 2cents.

[InnerChallenge]

I used to need 8 to 9 hours of sleep to function optimally too. Now 6 hours is more than enough. Two things really helped me:

1: a healthier diet and more active lifestyle
2: meditation

In the beginning I also used sleep induction tapes. These work really great. You'll fall asleep faster and deeper. After a while I stopped using these because daily meditation really seemed to do the trick for me. And on top of that it really helped me focus better and longer. I get more done in less time.

Give meditation a try. You'll be more productive and sleep less. It's like having 28 hour days!

[themaster]

I'm not a sleep expert by any means.. but since I believe anything is possible.. I think you could at least get by with 3 hours a day and still be fully functional.. (maybe less)

Here's my understanding of sleep.. this reality sucks and the dream reality is the real one.. we recharge our battery's via sleep to be here in the suck, so yes I can see how important it would be you to recharge the batteries cause you don't like the suck.. but you don't have to define it as the suck and if you can do that.. you can get by with 3 hours of sleep or so I think it's possible if you don't attach definitions and negativity too it..

Remember too that it's the EGO mind always counting the hours of sleep.. maybe you should relax the counting never look at a clock and just do things that our pleasing and not make you tired..

[Mattyyy]

I agree with the other posters.

Switching up your diet in different ways (cutting out animal products or caffeine, eating more fruits and veggies, drinking more water, eating lighter meals) and making different lifestyle choices (exercise more often and not before bed, take a nap in the afternoon) might help you sleep less.

But it also could be that you sleep so much simply because that's how you're biologically wired. Some people need a lot more sleep than others.

[GrowthandRepair]

I have a very clean diet, avoid caffeine and I exercise at least three times a week (every day if time permits). My schedule has been very hectic lately and I've only gotten the chance to exercise on the weekends.

I find that listening to a binaural beat CD as I'm falling asleep helps make my naps more restful and productive. I try not to nap and keep a regular schedule, but today I was really having trouble maintaing focus and concentration in classes and I needed one before starting my studying.

I'm a natural athlete so taking care of my body comes easy to me. Most people say I'm very athletic so I would really say that my only lifestyle problems (that I have been working on) are becomine less of tense individual and learning health coping strategies. It is a little hard though being around a family of very high strung and difficult people; especially my mother.

As of right now I'm simply attempting to become a better person especially in the face of my normal stress and anxiety factors. I feel very dualistic in my health as I appear very outwardly well whereas I believe my mental health had begun to suffer in the past due to my own neglect. It recently began to appear in the form of anxiety attacks but I am now working to keep my stress low by pre-planning and getting enough sleep.

[ragtag]

I think there is nothing wrong with you. I'm like that too. If I don't get enough sleep, I'll be grumpy, unfocused and generally not very happy. Staying up late one night (such as going out partying in the weekend), can easily affect me for days. A good diet, meditation and exercise can all help, but I've found the best way is to keep a very regular sleep pattern and get enough sleep every night. Preferably it should be so that you wake up naturally, before your alarm clock goes off.

[tsjechov]

I also think nothing is wrong with you. Everyone needs a certain amount of sleep.

When i got up at a different time every day, i needed more and more sleep and never felt really awake. As i try to wake up at 7 every day now, i even wake up before my alarm around that time! I also need less and less sleep. But i will never go crazy with sleeping to little, i just follow my body's wishes because you really need sleep!

So my advice is to wake up at the same time every day and go sleep when you feel you are getting tired. Basically what Steve P. also adviced in his article about sleep.

[Kaybee]

I'm one of those people who need at least 8 hours of sleep per night as well. If I do not get 8 hours after so many nights in a row I get physically ill.

I don't worry about it. I've learned to work with it. I know that I'm most productive when I wake up. I use the Pareto Principle (focusing on that 20% of intense productivity to maximize my results). I've had great success. I've found the time to go back to College full-time, earning my MBA while working a full-time job, along with being a parent and wife.

It wasn't easy, but I did it. So don't fret. Find your strategy for optimal productivity and go with it.

Kim
Self Improvement and Motivation

[machoman]

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Many people say that 30 minute of listening Neural Synergy equals to 4 hours of sleep. I don't know whether it is true or not, but I think it is so.

The Morry Method-Quantum Mind Power System

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[UIS4821]

I know the easy thing to say is diet which is always great advice but sometimes is not practical while your in school. From personal experience I would say that you need to look at your phyiscal conditioning. Do a 30 Day challenge where you workout everyday and see how this will correspond with your sleeping issues.

Try it if you serious about shortening your sleep time this is the least you can do.