How much sleep did you get per night last week? Probably less than the 8 hours that experts recommend. If you think that just getting in one good, solid day of rest is enough the tip the scale back into balance, you may owe the sandman more time than you thought.
Sleep debt is the difference between the amount of sleep you ought to be getting per night, and the amount you actually get. The deficit doesn't just get wiped every week when you get a couple extra hours in bed on Sunday morning. It continues to grow every time we skimp even a few extra minutes a night.
The average American gets about 6.9 hours of sleep a night, on average. That means an hour of sleep a night is lost, resulting in two full weeks per year—and you'll start to feel it. Impaired vision, foggy brain, poor driving, and forgetfulness are all symptoms of sleep deprivation. Luckily, it can be reversed.
Go to bed when you're tired and wake up naturally, no alarm clock. Expect about ten hours of sleep a night, giving you a catatonic feeling, but your need for sleep will gradually decrease. Find the balance and you'll live an alarmless life from here on out.
