Isn’t waking up mid-cycle sub optimal?
In: 8
8 hours is general advice, optimally what works for most people falls within 7-9 hours. what works best for you is going to vary from person to person. and yes waking up in the middle of a sleep cycle also isn’t ideal for not feeling tired
ultimately the figure of 8 hours is an arbitrarily picked number
8 hours is general advice, optimally what works for most people falls within 7-9 hours. what works best for you is going to vary from person to person. and yes waking up in the middle of a sleep cycle also isn’t ideal for not feeling tired
ultimately the figure of 8 hours is an arbitrarily picked number
8 hours is general advice, optimally what works for most people falls within 7-9 hours. what works best for you is going to vary from person to person. and yes waking up in the middle of a sleep cycle also isn’t ideal for not feeling tired
ultimately the figure of 8 hours is an arbitrarily picked number
Mostly because you need more than one sleep cycle. Sleep is the time during which the connections between neurons are formed, it’s the time when memories are engraved. More importantly, it’s also the time when your brain is cleaned. Literally. The cerebral fluid that surrounds your brain is flushed so that the toxins your brain accumulated can be released in the bloodstream. Brains in humans are big and complex, so it makes sense it takes some time to properly flush them out.
Mostly because you need more than one sleep cycle. Sleep is the time during which the connections between neurons are formed, it’s the time when memories are engraved. More importantly, it’s also the time when your brain is cleaned. Literally. The cerebral fluid that surrounds your brain is flushed so that the toxins your brain accumulated can be released in the bloodstream. Brains in humans are big and complex, so it makes sense it takes some time to properly flush them out.
The 90 minute sleep cycle is just approximate. Some cycles is 60 minutes and some is 120 minutes. In addition it takes some time to fall properly asleep and enter the first sleep cycle. With all these uncertainties it is impossible to predict where you will be in the sleep cycle exactly 8 hours after falling asleep. And you are right that it is not always best to sleep for a full 8 hours, and sometimes you need to sleep a bit longer. People who do set up more advanced alarms in the morning tend to do a soft wake up procedure after 7.5 hours of sleep, maybe supported by monitoring for the current stage in the sleep cycle. And then a hard alarm at maybe 8.5 hours of sleep.
The 90 minute sleep cycle is just approximate. Some cycles is 60 minutes and some is 120 minutes. In addition it takes some time to fall properly asleep and enter the first sleep cycle. With all these uncertainties it is impossible to predict where you will be in the sleep cycle exactly 8 hours after falling asleep. And you are right that it is not always best to sleep for a full 8 hours, and sometimes you need to sleep a bit longer. People who do set up more advanced alarms in the morning tend to do a soft wake up procedure after 7.5 hours of sleep, maybe supported by monitoring for the current stage in the sleep cycle. And then a hard alarm at maybe 8.5 hours of sleep.
The 90 minute sleep cycle is just approximate. Some cycles is 60 minutes and some is 120 minutes. In addition it takes some time to fall properly asleep and enter the first sleep cycle. With all these uncertainties it is impossible to predict where you will be in the sleep cycle exactly 8 hours after falling asleep. And you are right that it is not always best to sleep for a full 8 hours, and sometimes you need to sleep a bit longer. People who do set up more advanced alarms in the morning tend to do a soft wake up procedure after 7.5 hours of sleep, maybe supported by monitoring for the current stage in the sleep cycle. And then a hard alarm at maybe 8.5 hours of sleep.
Mostly because you need more than one sleep cycle. Sleep is the time during which the connections between neurons are formed, it’s the time when memories are engraved. More importantly, it’s also the time when your brain is cleaned. Literally. The cerebral fluid that surrounds your brain is flushed so that the toxins your brain accumulated can be released in the bloodstream. Brains in humans are big and complex, so it makes sense it takes some time to properly flush them out.
It’s not about cycle lenght, but depth.
Every cycle is less and less deep.
In 8 hours you are rested enough to get up and perform. You had enough cycles that you won’t care to break a light one. May be finished or in the middle of it, it won’t be that deep to get out well.
The shorter you sleep the harder is the effect of waking up mid-cycle.
On the shorter end, you sleep 20 minutes so you don’t even start a cycle, or you sleep 2 hours so you complete one (plus its intro let’s say). Anything in between is a rough wake up.
Honestly below 8 you lose sharpness long term, 10-12 hours is pretty darn good. Uncommon just because we like to live hard to achieve more. If you are completely jobless and rich enough to have no worries, you sleep 10-12 naturally. Carnivore animals like dogs and cats do sleep even 18 per day if they don’t have a reason to get up. Again 8 is a good trade off between having more useful day hours and lack of rest.
People that say 6 are ok simply lie. I challenge em taking a whatever test after a week of 6 hour sleep and compare it to the same test done after a week of 12 hour sleep.
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