How to Find the Ideal Amount of Sleep for You (It May Not Be 8 Hours)

Sleepy Head: At this point, eight hours is practically synonymous with a good night’s sleep, so constantly falling short can feel like a personal failure. But new research suggests that the standard recommendation isn’t right for everyone.  A year-long study of 462 adults found that a personal sleep threshold more accurately predicted how people felt the next day. Finding your sweet spot starts with figuring out your own normal, and it might not be the typical 8 hours.

How to Do It:  For a couple of weeks, track when you fall asleep and wake up, either by wearing a wearable or a simple log using pen and paper. Also take note of your mood and how you feel. Then find the amount of sleep you get most often (not the number you “should” be getting), and notice how your mood and focus feel the next day. That feedback reveals more than the number on your sleep tracker, and logging your headspace allows you to see patterns develop over time.

The Benefits: It’s no secret that good sleep — in both quantity and quality — makes a world of difference in how we feel. But it’s about more than that. Prolonged periods of sleep deprivation, even if you’re running just a little low each night, can lead to health issues like elevated blood pressure and heart disease. Prioritizing sleep is good for the brain and body.