How Much Sleep Do You Need?

Sleep plays a vital role in promoting health and well being. Getting the sleep that you need is likely to enhance your overall quality of life. Yet you face many potential barriers that can disrupt and disturb your sleep. Overcoming these challenges can help you enjoy the daily benefits of feeling alert and well rested. Experts suggest that most men and women need about seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Yet there are many differences in how men and women sleep. In general women tend to sleep more than men, going to bed and falling asleep earlier. A woman’s sleep also tends to be lighter and more easily disturbed. Women are more likely to feel unrefreshed even after a full night of sleep. Women also tend to describe sleep problems using different terms than men. Men are more likely to say that they feel sleepy during the day while women often describe feeling tired, unrested or fatigued. These expressions reflect feelings of physical or mental exhaustion.