So How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?

More about sleep with Dr Mercola.  Not only have we seen how important good sleep is for our health, now Dr Mercola is saying that its healthier to start our sleep way before midnight.

Ideally we should synchronize our sleep cycles with the sun, so we should go to sleep as close to the sun setting as possible.  Most people don't go to sleep at 7 or 8 at night, so he's just saying that if you go to bed in the middle of the night, it doesn't bode well for your health.

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I wrote that important hormones are only reproduced during sleep cycles, so here's another reason to get the right amount of sleep.  Check how you feel when you get 5, 6, 7 or 8 hours of sleep.  You can decide how much sleep you really need to have a sense of well being.

In an article from sleepfoundation.org, it seems how much sleep you really need depends on many factors.

The first thing experts will tell you about sleep is that there is no "magic number." Not only do different age groups need different amounts of sleep, but sleep needs are also individual. Just like any other characteristics you are born with, the amount of sleep you need to function best may be different for you than for someone who is of the same age and gender. While you may be at your absolute best sleeping seven hours a night, someone else may clearly need nine hours to have a happy, productive life. In fact, a 2005 study confirmed the fact that sleep needs vary across populations, and the study calls for further research to identify traits within genes that may provide a "map" to explain how sleep needs differ among individuals.

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