[ffhhj]

If I go to sleep before 11 pm, even if I'm sleepy, I'll have severe insomnia and won't be able to sleep until 3-5am the next day. But if I go to sleep at 12am, I'll automatically wake up at 6am perfectly rested. I say sleep science got it wrong at the minimum 8hr sleep to be healthy, just find your body's sleep schedule and follow it. As with water, only drink when thirsty and in rest, long before/after eating or exercising.

[YZF]

I think the science says it varies. If you wake up without an alarm and you're perfectly rested then good on you! If I sleep less than 8 hours I feel like I lost 10 IQ points and I'm tired most of the day.

[ffhhj]

That's what I say, know yourself, find your schedule. But I haven't found sleep science talking about it.

[Retric]

Science shows there’s underlying variability in sleep demands and these change based on age but people can also get used to less sleep even though they benefit from more.

In general newborns sleep 12-16 hours per day but not continuously. Age 6-12 average 9-12 hours. Teens average 8-10 hours. Between 25 and 64 most people are 7 to 9 hours which is where the 8 hours comes from. Seniors sleep less and rarely continuously through the night.

Talking about averages always excludes outliers. Some people are 6’6” and others 4’8, but odds are you’re still capable of sleeping more with better habits. There’s methods to learn how to fall asleep more easily and huge benefits from consistent sleep patterns. Further, it can make a huge difference what your room is like, lower temperatures and a lack of light is almost universally beneficial.

[jackrosacker]

I think it’s pretty commonly recognized that different people have different sleep duration requirements (within reason). The 8 hour rule is a popular rule of thumb, but in no way does current sleep science say that’s a hard rule that is true for everyone.