You don't actually need 8 hours of sleep every 24 hours.

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[u/Due_Essay447]

You only need what your body asks for. The 8 hour thing is just a median estimate. Some people need more, most need less.

[u/softhi]

It’s a general guideline rather than a fixed rule, just like every other piece of health advice.

[u/TheNameless00 → u/softhi]

Just like the 5 a day "rule" for fruit and veg. So many people think these are rules to being healthy when they're just guidelines

[u/SeaLow5372]

I always read 7-9 hours is the average recommended amount. Personally, I often need more. When I'm on my period I can sleep up to 10-11 hours.  My friend only needs 4 and he's good to go.

[u/Lemony-Signal]

I'll give up my 9hrs when I'm burried.

[u/Krescentia]

When I was young, I could only sleep 3 or 4 hours at best but I was fine. Was diagnosed with some sleep disorder that really was just a "requires less sleep but functions fine" thing. As I got older I eventually started needing more sleep and my brain still can't understand why and overwhelmingly just "feels like a waste of time." 😭

[u/DevIsSoHard]

Have you looked at the data? There are some things to be said about age, general health, etc.. but across the board it's fair to say that people start to suffer below 7 hours, in terms of making measurably more mistakes and drops in performance in certain tasks. These effects start happening before you consciously feel off, tired, or whatever.

I feel you though I often get like 5-7 hours and feel pretty fine with it on the day to day because my schedule can get a bit full. But the data is pretty stout too imo, I can't reasonably deny it has an effect on me that I might not notice.

Seven hours of sleep is optimal in middle and old age, say researchers | University of Cambridge

World's largest sleep study shows too much shut-eye can be bad for your brain | ScienceDaily

Really does look like too much or too little sleep is suboptimal. I think your opinion has some popularity to it - lots of people think they get by fine because they more or less have to get by with less sleep. But it's an unscientific opinion

[u/Pajbot → u/DevIsSoHard]

You say that it's an unscientific opinion, but you just gave support for "approximately 7 hours of sleep" (approximately, if you go to the actual study that the article references, meaning that the actual optimal amount could even be a little below 7) being optimal, and 7-8 hours being optimal, where one of those is below 8 hours, and the other has 8 hours at the upper limit.

I'll also bring up the idea that a better lifestyle might allow for less sleep. This is because a better lifestyle would lead to better sleep quality, resulting in not needing as much sleep.

It still seems to me that 8 hours is still pushed quite a bit, given the post that I came across and other things. And the 7 hour minimum is definitely pushed, but I think that it's possible that 6.5 or 6.75 hours is easily sufficient for many.

Edit: Second paragraph.

[u/HeathenAmericana]

I mean, I mostly get about 5 and live just fine.

[u/Toshibaguts]

I’m severely anemic, I need about 10. But you’re right, some people do only need 6 or 7. It just varies from person to person

And when my endometriosis flares up I could sleep about 12-14. In a zombie. The human body is a trip!

[u/Kolo_ToureHH]

The general guidance is actually 7 or more hours for adults, not 8 hours as a hard and fast rule.