How many hours of sleep are healthy for you?

Various studies on sleep tell you how much sleep is healthy. "You should sleep exactly 7 hours", "You definitely need 8 hours of sleep", "6 hours of rest are sufficient". Are you feeling confused between the sheets? Here is the answer finally. Also, discover how you can recover sleep if you have lost a few hours.

American scientists from West Virginia University conclude that 7 hours of sleep per night are healthy. Less can cause health problems, just like more. So, should you aim for 7 hours of sleep per night? "No," says Professor of Psychophysiology Gerard Kerkhof from the University of Amsterdam. "There have been as many studies as this. The correlation is correct, but you can also reverse it: people who are sick sleep more or less due to pain."

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Sleep Need

According to the sleep expert, it is impossible to determine how many hours of sleep are good for you. "It varies. There are people who need to sleep little and others who need to sleep a lot. The absolute minimum is 4 or 5 hours, and the maximum is around 12 hours."

Sleep need is a vague definition. If you want to know how many hours of sleep you really need, you should count your sleep hours during a period when you have no obligations (like during a vacation) and do not need to recover from a period of little sleep. Kerkhof: "If you measure the duration of your sleep for approximately 2 weeks, you will know your exact sleep need."

Short Naps

A nap also works well to give you some extra energy. According to the psychophysiologist, if you sleep for at least 10 to 15 minutes, a short nap already fulfills its purpose. Here are tips for the perfect nap.

Sleep Recovery

Have you stayed up all night over the weekend and need to recover sleep? Kerkhof says: "Recovering sleep works well, but it completely depends on the hours you have lost how much you need to recover.

So, sleeping throughout the whole weekend often isn't enough to make up for your sleep debt. "But you can also 'pre-sleep': go to bed early for a few nights before a short night, and you'll build up energy." This way, the impact is less severe after a night of staying up late.

Via Men's Health NL