Curious: How few hours of sleep can you get by on?

[Mike03]

Lately I am really having trouble sleeping. My favorite talk radio is one between ten pm and 5 am (Bernie Ward and Ray Taliafero). I seem to need them now badly, which means I am getting about three or so hours a night for these past three weeks.

As a result of this, I'm 1) tired and 2) getting strange.

Anyone else going through this?

[AntiCoup2K4]

1. Yeah, I'm averaging 3-4 hours a night.

And pretty much the same reason.... Mike Malloy isn't over until 1:00 AM here, and after "truthseeking" I'm usually too wound up to sleep. I'll be happier when XM finally gets their damn lineup fixed. Then I can get back to watching Jon Stewart at 11:00, laughing off the stress, and calling it a day.

[Az]

2. Averaging 2-3 hours a night right now

:woohoo:

[RetroLounge]

3. I NEED at least 6 or 7

but I can get by on 4 or 5.

anything less and I am not responsible for my words or actions and it's gonna get freaking ugly, you got a problem with that?

Hmmm, I better get some sleep tonight :D

RL

[democracyindanger]

4. From what some college friends

in ROTC (Army Rangers) told me, the Army manual says that humans can get by on 4 hours of sleep. But I need at least 17 or I'm no good to anyone.

[Fox Mulder]

5. 3-4 hours/night is common for me.

I'm suprised if I ever get six or more.

[Mike03]

6. Thank you

I'm glad to know I'm not alone.

Even stranger, I feel more focussed and optimistic than I have in a long time. Maybe the adrenaline is carrying me along.

I don't know though--today was really hard. I thought today would be "The Day" and I was wrong...

I even had a craving for a cigarette today--and I don't smoke.

[bicentennial_baby]

7. 3-4

but it ain't pretty, believe you me...and if my english midterm keeps up at the snail's pace it's been at all evening, that will be me tommorrow, sigh. x(

[Rising Phoenix]

11. keep up the good work...

I know you can do it...:loveya:

[bicentennial_baby]

17. awww, baby girl!

i couldn't have gotten this far without you love, you know it. :loveya:

[Mike03]

12. I know

I freaked my mom out today, and I know I am acting strange to people who know me.

I don't know what is wrong. I'm just DYING for indictments. It is the only thing I can focus on,.

[Mike03]

13. I know

I freaked my mom out today, and I know I am acting strange to people who know me.

I don't know what is wrong. I'm just DYING for indictments. It is the only thing I can focus on,.

[jmm]

8. I use to think I could get by on an hour or two a night until

one day I found myself crying like a baby while watching CSPAN. As long as I get my usual four or five hours I'm my normal not so emotional self.

[alarcojon]

9. I can get by on about 5 per night for a while

but then I need to catch up. Four per night and I start to get stupid during the day.

[DS1]

10. 4 is my absolute limit for extended periods

but if I can get as little as 20 minutes of quiet every 5 or so hours, I can meditate/float away and come back all refreshed.

[LeftyMom]

14. In a single night I can get by on 3 or 4

for any extended period 6 is the bare minimum. More is better, I like to sleep in. :)

[purr]

15. Would you be able to tape it??

Ie - tape the 10pm one, go to bed, then wake up for the 5? I'm no medical professional but I wouldnt cut down on sleep.. we sleep for a reason. There has to be a way to both get sleep and listen to your fav programs!! With my TV I use my DVR to tape shows that I KNOW I'll miss due to sleep.

[CatholicEdHead]

16. I need atleast 6, hopefully 7 or 8.

[tallahasseedem]

18. I can get by on 4...

but it cant happen two nights in a row. Maybe when I was 20, but I am 30 now and that crap just dont fly anymore.

[Oeditpus Rex]

19. My brain wakes up after six, six and a half hours

but I invariably need a nap within four hours of waking up. It's been like that ever since I went from swing to days.

I don't believe humans are wired for an 8-to-5 world.

[flvegan]

20. I need 3, but function very well on 5.

Less than 3...forget it.

[LeftyMom]

25. I'm sorry.

:(

[flvegan]

31. I got 3. Barely.

But I got 'em.

You, however...dunno how you're still amongst the walking.

[LeftyMom]

32. Walking? Not if I can avoid it!

My knees are killing me, I smell like Tiger Balm, I can't keep my eyes open but if I go to sleep LeftyKid will disasemble my apartment into it's constituent molecules.

:boring:

[flvegan]

33. Then I most certainly won't

offer to rub your shoulders...the back of your neck...

I'd also offer, were I there, to take point on ensuring no disassembly of any apartment. But, let's face it...me and a four year old is more like 2 four year olds.

[LeftyMom]

35. Yeah, but the two of you could sit down,

watch the Powerpuff Girls on tivo and let me nap next to you on the couch. :) He's got the 8 yo neighbor girl over and they're watching Scooby Doo.

[flvegan]

36. I'd try to make myself scarce.

Let the little man get his mack on.

Scooby Doo...gets 'em every time.

[LeftyMom]

37. She does ask to play with him a lot

My son: beloved by older women. :D

[flvegan]

38. Well...

Powerpuff Girls? Scooby Doo? That's the grade school bling-bling.

Plus, he's a handsome devil. Quite the Casanova too, I'm sure.

[LeftyMom]

39. Yeah he is

(actual transcript)

Neighbor girl comes inside

LK: Pretty butterfly shirt! Want a juice box?

Then they sit down and he grabs the tivo remote and cues up Scooby Doo.

He's a riot. :)

[flvegan]

42. Uh huh...

Hits her with the phat compliment on the attire, offers her a beverage.

Pimpin'...

[LeftyMom]

43. They're cuddled up on the couch

100 lbs of kids with room to spread out on a full sized couch and they're snuggled up like teenagers.

I'm gonna be a grandma in my 40s if the kid keeps this pace.

[flvegan]

45. Atta boy!

Grandma? Not unless all parties involved want to be. Seems to me you'll teach LeftyKid responsibility, which goes both ways, in having and not having kids.

[LeftyMom]

46. Yeah but accidents happen

I didn't get knocked up at 19 for fun you know. :eyes:

I hope I'm wrong though.

[flvegan]

47. Which is precisely why

I stated that responsibility goes both ways.

[ghostsofgiants]

21. In a situation like that...

I would not sleep at night and sleep after school/work. I've done that before and find I finction much better than when I just get a couple of hours at night.

[huskerlaw]

22. Depends what I'm doing...

if I'm on vacation and having insane amounts of fun, 3 hours is perfectly acceptable.

If it's regular schedule/work...I start to get pretty annoyed if it's less than 5 for more than a few nights in a row.

[Left Is Write]

23. I can get by on 4. I function pretty well on 6.

Ideally, I'd like to get 7 or 8.

I could not get by on 4 for very long. I was chronically sleep deprived for years by a combination of very young, needy children and ongoing insomnia. It did horrible things to me.

[wildeyed]

30. 9, I want 9 hours!

But other than that, what you said.

[Mike03]

24. Thank you for the replies

One really strange thing I have noticed is that since getting fewer hours of sleep, I have not been depressed--I have a history of depression. Just for what it is worth--and this is my worst time of year for depression: October through February.

[Az]

26. Same here

I have a long history of various types of depression (mostly on the milder end of the scale but occaisional severe). And I find that shorter periods of sleep (augmented by power naps) seem to give me the best balance.

[wildeyed]

29. Just be careful you are not getting into a cyclical thing.

Bipolar and the like.

[Mike03]

34. Thank you

I do sometimes worry about that.

[Elidor]

27. In college I managed 4-1/2 hours for long stretches

(And no, I was not partying.) Working full time and studying animation and design. But it really messed me up eventually. One semester I had to drop out completely because I was so exhausted I was on the verge of collapse. I would spend upwards of 80 hours a week on my homework, plus the full-time job. Ugh.

One day I woke up and realized that my entire working life as an animator would be much like my college career. And that was the end of that. No one should push themselves that hard except in emergencies. If you keep it up for long, it will destroy your health, mental as well as physical. Get some sleep. You'll enjoy it. :)

[NNadir]

28. I am a chronic insomniac. There have been times I've stayed awake

for as much as 72 hours.

I can function pretty well for the first 48, at least that is my self referential impression.

Normally I sleep 4 or 5, but after a time I'm very tired and need a 12 hour sleep.

I'm uncomfortable with it though. I wish I slept more.

I once had a boss who slept 2 or 3 hours a night and drank A LOT.

It was terrible to travel with him. I hated it.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

40. I'm like that

Particularly during stressful periods. However the drugs I'm currently taking have pretty strong sedative side-effects so I've been sleeping 8 hours no-problem the past year.

[BlueStateGirl]

41. 3 or 4 if there is no alcohol involved. SOmetimes I even fell better with

just 4 hours of sleep.

[mvd]

44. I'd say I need 7 hours per night

Prefer about 9.