How Much Sleep

How much sleep does a person need'' There is no hard and fast answer to this question, either for children or adults.

Research and common experience both in­dicate that sleep requirements are a highly individual matter, governed by many factors. These include age, general state of health, current activities, emotional outlook, and previous sleeping habits.

Most adults sleep 6 to 8 hours out of 24 But some need more; a few less. Occasionally a person "drugs" himself with too much sleep and fails to get his full measure of living The people who claim to get along on very little sleep at night usually do some of their sleeping during the day. They take short naps and they have usually mastered the art of relaxation.

The test of whether or not you are getting enough sleep is a simple, practical, and indi­vidual one You are getting enough if you wake up in the morning refreshed and ready for the new day   The first half hour after arising can be discounted in apply­ing this test, because it takes varying lengths of time for metabolism to rise to a level of full wakefulness.

Occasional loss of sleep will not have harm­ful effects. Under conditions of military ne­cessity men have often gone 48 to 72 hours without sleep and recovered with only 12 hours of rest and sleep. Even test subjects, who have been kept awake as long as 200 hours, have not suffered significant physio­logical changes. Of course, these subjects do exhibit some temporary psychological deficits; they become restless, irritable, and unable to add numbers accurately in their heads.

"Sleeping like a log" is a complete fallacy. Many studies made with concealed cameras and other recording devices have definitely established that the sound sleeper (in a bed) changes his position frequently, sometimes every 10 to 15 minutes. These changes in position apparently operate to give dif­ferent muscle groups fuller opportunity for relaxation.

Sleeping Soundly

There is no best position for sleeping. Any position in which you are comfortable will serve. It is the common practice in Western society to sleep in a bed. But there are some primitive people who sleep in a squatting po­sition. The Japanese sleep on the ground or floor without mattresses. Sailors manage to get a good night's rest in hammocks. And, as every college student knows, almost anyone can learn to sleep sitting up.

It must be recognized that some hours of sleep are deeper or "sounder" than others. These 2 to 4 hours of deep sleep, whether they come before or after midnight, are the impor­tant ones in the body's recuperative process. The different levels of sleep can be detected in "brain-wave" patterns. The factors that make for sound sleep are many and often highly individual. They include both physical and psychological factors. For the most part we have sometimes been forced to go two or three days without sleep but they recovered with twelve hours of sleep and rest. This is extreme physiological fatigue, not chronic or "battle" fatigue take them for granted and become aware of them only when they are missing or changed. Darkness, quiet, agreeable room temperature, and an accustomed, comfortable bed favor a good night's sleep. So do regular sleeping habits —that is, going to bed about the same time almost every night—and a balanced pattern of living that is free from repeated, abnormal tensions. A good day is the best prelude to a good night's sleep.