How many hours do you sleep at night?

I sleep about 10 hours at night. Pretty soon I'm goanna have to at an early time so...For me it will be hard to get up. Yesterday I read one article at custom essay writing service about why is sleep so important? Sleep helps all other bodily functions normal, by not sleeping at least 8 hours a night you could seriously reduce the health of your body.

Important to emphasize that enough sleep regularly is very important to health.
My spinal alignment doctor always reminds patients that... "the body heals while sleeping and if you don't get enough sleep, you won't be able to heal or undo all the insults you've sustained during the day."

I sleep 6 to 7 hours a night. I can't seem to get any more than that unless I take a lorazepam, and I don't take that very often.
except for afib my health is very good.

i sleep anywhere from 51/2 hours to 71/2, I am 83 and in good health except for AF, I think it depends on the person, Edison didn't sleep much, Tesla didn't and Trump only sleeps about 4 hours. I have given up on a lot of these so-called sage advisers, they all die don't they, do what makes you feel good.

Liz

A recent clip on heart health from Cleveland Clinic Healthy Essentials Bulletin says this about adequate sleep and staying healthy:

Get enough sleep
Sleep is an essential part of keeping your heart healthy. If you don’t sleep enough, you may be at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease no matter your age or other health habits. One study looking at 3,000 adults over the age of 45 found that those who slept fewer than six hours per night were about twice as likely to have a stroke or heart attack as people who slept six to eight hours per night. Researchers believe sleeping too little causes disruptions in underlying health conditions and biological processes, including blood pressure and inflammation.

Tip: Make sleep a priority. Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep most nights. If you have sleep apnea, you should be treated as this condition is linked to heart disease and arrhythmias.


Source
5 Things to Do Daily to Keep Your Heart Healthy
[health.clevelandclinic.org]

Jackie:

It is fine to say "make it a priority to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep", however pretty hard to do. You can cite all of these natural things to take, most don't help, some have made me sick. So, we do the best we can.

Liz

Liz - that quote was from the CCF report.

I realize many people have sleep problems. I have been fortunate that I can sleep well for at least 8 hours, although I may have to get up for a bathroom break around 5 am but I can go back to sleep quickly for another 2 - 3 hours. The only thing I take routinely at bedtime is 300 mg of magnesium glycinate. That is relaxing for me and helps me sleep without waking up often.

If I've had major stress that day or feel 'wired' at bedtime, I either take L-theanine or PharmaGaba... just 100 mg but fortunately, the magnesium is typically all I use.... plus, my meditation routine that I do when I settle into bed. I often don't even recall that I even finish that.

Jackie

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Our bodies require sleep to recover. We are a machine, albeit a supposedly clever one, but we often treat it badly.

Man is the only mammal that willingly delays sleep.Sleep is just as important as diet and exercise. We used to think that everything shuts down when we sleep, but over the last 60 years scientists have discovered that our brains are very active while we sleep.
In fact, some parts of the brain use more oxygen and glucose while asleep than when awake.

Some people cope with a lack of sleep much better than others. But everyone who is very sleepy loses concentration easily and experiences mood changes. The usual mood changes are feeling more depressed and irritable. I can relate to that.!

Scientists don’t yet understand exactly why we need sleep so badly. They believe it restores us physically and helps us organise things in our brain. We do know, however, that we can’t live well without it.

I get about 6-7 hours and I say I manage, but I don't really if I'm honest. I'm always tired at work and especially at the end of the day. I sleep a lot longer in the weekends because I don't put the alarm on for 4.45am, altho I do have a cat that meows in my ear and pats my face til I get up.

Joy:

Exactly, when you have to get up early it is hard to get 8 hrs. of sleep--most Americans don't usually get 8 hrs. It seems to be habit forming also to get less sleep, I no longer have to get up to go to work but I still very seldom can get 8 hours of sleep every night. I have a lot to do now as well, i have a large garden, lawn and take care of my house so I still am working.

Good luck
Liz

It's all very well for the expert doctors to tell us we need 8 hours sleep.
But what they don't tell is how, when at 4.30 am I wake up after 6 hours sleep and I'm bright as a button.
No way can I get back to sleep I have tried all sorts things.
I take magnesium before I sleep and it makes no difference.

I have been a 6 to 7 hour sleeper for as long as I can remember.
All I can say is if you wake up naturally after 6 hours sleep then that what the body needs.

Colin

I'm similar to Colin above except I sometimes nap during the day so I'm wondering what the comparative sleep value of a 15 - 30 minute nap is to a 30 - 60 minute nap compared to an hour's sleep during the middle of the night. It seems that the so called perfect nap is the shorter one as if my body temperature hasn't had long enough to go down I'm not nearly as thick headed when i awake. Sometimes when I'm sitting quietly reading or on my computer it's virtually impossible not to doze in the daytime even though I'm not sleepy during daytime if I'm active.

i with I could stay up until 11:00 or so but I'm usually asleep by 9:00. I can't sleep past 5:00 AM no matter when I go to bed or how much sleep I get while I'm there.

In experimenting with trying to achieve a goal of 7 - 8 continuous hours of sleep nightly; however, being an 80 y/o man it's an impossibility since at least one trip to the bathroom is now essential so the job is to readily get back to sleep after that.

My after bathroom break attempts to resume sleep have included;

1. Ambien, 5 mg. Sometimes leaves me with a morning hangover if I take it after midnight.
2. Time Release Melatonin, 3 mg. Supposed to work for 6 hours. Does that for maybe 3 hours, No morning hangover..
3. PharmaGaba. 100mg. Provides a couple hours of drowsiness. No hangover.
4. L-Theanine, 100mg. Slows the thought process for a while. No hangover
5. Meditation. Slows the thought process. Works for a while but wears off quickly.
6. Medical marijuana. 1:1 THC/CBD Subingual. Spacey morning if taken after 1:00 AM
7. Get up and read a book. Can't remember what I've read in the morning and can't concentrate.
8. Just lie there. Boring with increasing anxiety over time. Difficult for sleeping companion.

All of the above except meditation become increasingly useless after one or two nights and rotating them doesn't seem to be the answer. Increased dosages only increase the side effects.

My psychiatrist friend says we're really getting some sleep in bed when we think we're awake and the body will sooner or later get the sleep it really needs. My anesthesiologist friend says sleep is epheremal and not to be so concerned about it.

What do my Afib friends think and how do you handle their own sleep difficulties?

Gordon

Gordon - as with so many ailments, what works well for some may not work well at all in others.
It’s really highly individualized depending on what behind-the-scenes factors are either missing or are running interference to promote that person’s solid, restful, restorative sleep patterns.

The first tip is a precaution to make sure the bedroom is free from electronic gadgets and devices that produce EMF’s as those are well-known to interfere with sleep…including TVs, computers and cell phones, wireless connections and shield from smart meters. Check out the post from several years ago on that topic. It’s critical to clear your bedroom of the electronic equipment well known to contribute to sleep disorders and a whole lot more. Move it all out of the bedroom including your cell phone. I sleep with an earthing pad for my feet. Walking outdoors barefoot on grass and especially at the beach in wet sand is a great way to become “grounded” for health and improved sleep.
Electropollution [www.afibbers.org]

It’s obvious that the stress factor is huge for sleep interference. Can one get to sleep quickly and easily and also remain sleeping for the whole night? If you are continually stressed… even physical exercise which is a stressor and done too late can revv you up, so sleep is elusive. Managing the cortisol that results from stress is a priority so looking to adrenal function is the first step. Those under chronic stress typically can’t balance cortisol and replenish catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine) so… supporting overall adrenal function is a typical approach. Practitioners of Functional Medicine have specific test panels to evaluate these functions.

There are typical herbals recommended for adrenal support. Those include American Ginseng, Ashwaganda, Rhodiola, Eleuthrococus, and other nutrients such as N-acetyl L tyrosine, Vit B6 as P5P, Riboflavin, Vitamin C as ascorbic acid, Thiamine, Ribovlavin, and many holistic practitioners like adrenal glandulars.

Often, people don’t eat enough sustaining protein at the evening meal to last the night. Then the adrenals kick in and send out the alarm signals that the brain needs fuel (glucose) so that adrenaline surge is intended to make you wake up and do something about the problem. The remedy is to eat a protein-containing snack a couple hours before your normal bedtime hour. No sugar, minor carbs… as that just propels the rebound cycle. Also, often alcohol in the evening does the same thing… sets you up for a hypoglycemic-type event in the wee hours. So keeping blood glucose balanced and in proper range is a key component of good sleep.

Some suggest small doses of the hormone, melatonin… small, meaning starting with .5 mg before bed. Often, people need larger doses to make a difference. Depends on the individual’s production of melatonin. Produced in the pineal gland, it helps promote sleep and also synchronizing body rhythms. I’ve never had to use it but know people who find it useful. The literature says to be careful and start very low. There are precautions: Individuals with severe depression or schizophrenia, epileptics and those with autoimmune disease should take melatonin only under medical supervision.

Another often recommended is 5 HTP combined with Vitamin B6 which supports neurotransmitter metabolism by providing precursors to serotonin. 5 HTP readily enters the blood brain barrier but needs the Vit. B6 as a co-factor. Used during the day, 5 HTP can support healthy mood and appetite as well as support at bedtime.

Inositol supports overall relaxation and helps maintain the proper metabolism of serotonin. It is used for nutritional support of brain wellness and female hormonal health through its role in healthy liver function. It may also aid in attaining a restful night’s sleep. (Quoted from DFH’s Inositol product description).

I think one of the reasons I sleep so well is my nightly dose of magnesium right at bedtime…usually 300 mg of magnesium glycinate and spread out more doses during the day. About 6 months or so ago, I added Magnesium L-Threonate or NeuroMag ® to support healthy brain aging. At first I thought it was placebo effect, but I felt that I slept extremely well. Whatever it is, the combination at bedtime helps me sleep soundly and consistently. I take 100 mg at bedtime and spread out the other 2 doses during the day.

If I think I might need to calm down before bedtime, I often take either L-theanine (100 mg) or PharmaGaba (100 mg).

Some botanicals are known to help nervous system function and include Valerian, Passion Flower, Lemon Balm, Chamomile.

Essential oils have great power and are easy to use and highly effective. You just need to choose those which are steam distilled and have no contaminants from growing or processing. They are amazing to use at night in a diffuser in the bedroom.

A classic reference is the book is The Mood Cure by Julia Ross, MA.
She covers a lot of topics including sleep and gives suggestions for natural remedies.

In addition to various supplements, calming and centering practices such as yoga, EFT, meditation, are always useful for calming before bed.

Lots to consider. I’d start with removing the EMF’s and then the calming, meditations first and build from there.

Hope something in this list helps you get to sleep and stay asleep.

Be well,
Jackie

Lots of good thoughts and ideas there, Jackie. Thanks so much.

I'm currently working on eliminating or reducing as much as possible the high frequency blue light exposure before bed and during the night when I'm awake. There was a recent study referenced in a different thread on this Board about LED lights making the brain thinks it's day when it really isn't but the brain shuts off the Melatonin production anyway, increasing wakefulness. I notice my new Galaxy S6+ phone has an optional blue light filter. My bedroom clock is red, not blue.

It's pretty hard not to watch TV before bed as a way to unwind; (particularly the new Netflix series, "Ranch"), so I'll try reading, but not in bed and with an incandescent light bulb.

Napping in the daytime can become addicting and I do think napping affects overnight sleep so I'm currently going for a walk when I start to get drowsy in the afternoon.

Gordon

I sleep terribly. A typical night for me is 4 hours, followed by waking, then 2-3 hours of wakefulness then perhaps an hour of very light, dream-filled sleep. I wake feeling extremely groggy.

I should also mention it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to nap. Has been my entire life. Even if I am dog-tired in the middle of the day, I can only lay still to the point of the myoclonic "jerk" and then I am wide-awake again.

I'm thinking it's high time to fix this problem!

mine is 7 hours xD i guess that fine.