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A large number of people
go through their day feeling like they didn't get a good nights sleep.
Most people just chalk this up to staying up too late, getting up too
early or stressing about their lives. The question that arises is one
that asks if this is normal or if it is really sleep deprivation. For
an answer to this, we can look at some averages.
For a typical adult, 7 to
9 hours of sleep each night is what they need in order to feel fully
rested and to function at their full potential the following day. However,
there are also those individuals who are perfectly capable of getting
by, and even doing fairly well, on just 5 or 6 hours of sleep. On average,
most people function quite well after getting 8 hours of sleep.
The best way to know when
you are sleep deprived is to evaluate your performance the next day.
Do you feel like you need a nap? Do you find yourself yawning in the
afternoon? People who are not sleep deprived do not generally experience
these symptoms of sleep deprivation. If you are getting 6 hours of sleep
and you suffer from these symptoms, you may only need as little as 1
more hour of sleep per night in order to be at your best.
It is important to get enough
sleep because when you are sleep deprived, you are more likely to be
overweight and suffer from other physical problems. Unfortunately, simply
being overweight can lead to many other serious health problems such
as diabetes, heart disease and more. So even getting 1 more hour of
sleep each night could make a huge difference in your health as well
as your performance.