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Palo Alto, CA
A 48-year-old male asked:

Is 6 hours of sleep per night enough?

4 doctor answers7 doctors weighed in
Dr. Tonga Nfor
Cardiology 18 years experience
7-8 hours of sleep: 6 hours of sleep may not be enough for most adults. 7-8 hrs of sleep per day averaged over several weeks is considered adequate.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Arnon Rubin
Internal Medicine 26 years experience
It is a a bit short.: though many people function on less sleep, most people need 7 1/2 to 8 hours of sleep a night. Also it take 3 to 5 days go catch up when someone is sleep deprived so often sleeping in on the weekend is not enough.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Dean Giannone
Internal Medicine 27 years experience
Yes.: Six to nine hours of sleep nightly is generally sufficient.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Valerie Cacho
Sleep Medicine 14 years experience
Sleep duration: Average sleep time is 6-8 hours. If you feel like you have enough energy to complete your daily activities without the desire to nap sounds like 6 is enough. However if you are dragging your feet and need to drink caffeine to keep you going more sleep is recommended.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

Similar questions

New York, NY
A 26-year-old male asked:

Can I get by with 5 hours of sleep per night?

2 doctor answers3 doctors weighed in
Dr. David Lipkin
Internal Medicine 54 years experience
No: Generally the ideal amount of sleep is felt to be 7 hours, with a range of 6-8 hours. There is good evidence that sleeping only 5 hours a night is bad for health. Sleep deprivation can lead to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, depression and possibly shortened life span. It also impairs mental performance. For more patient information see: http://bit.ly/1JojUIM and http://bit.ly/1BiyDDl
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 42-year-old member asked:

Might having a few hours of sleep per night be dangerous to your health?

1 doctor answer1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Sal Aragona
Dentistry 43 years experience
Delta phase sleep: There are several phases of sleep and one of the most important levels for maximum rest and renovation is delta phase. This is the deepest level of sleep in which hgh (human growth hormone) is released and in adults provides one of the most potented hormones that naturally helps prevent tissue and organ breakdown. It may be that you have a sleep disorder preventing this level of sleep.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 35-year-old member asked:

Can you tell me is 6 hours of sleep enough for a 16yr old?

1 doctor answer1 doctor weighed in
Dr. James Ferguson
Pediatrics 48 years experience
No less than 9: The growing teen is faced with many choices but needs to take care of his/her sleep if they are to function well. While growing, no less than 9 hours of sleep/24hrs is needed. After their linear growth has stopped, they can sometimes get by on 8. Some will need more based on sports participation or heavy study. Events like sleep walking and sleep talking are evidence they're sleep deprived.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 18-year-old member asked:

Is 6 hours of sleep enough for an 18 year old?

3 doctor answers12 doctors weighed in
Dr. Bac Nguyen
Family Medicine 25 years experience
Can be: Not everyone needs the beauty sleep of 8 hours....This is average....Which means many need less than 8. Some people can do 2-3 hours/day and are fine for many years...I actually have 2 patients needing only about 3 hours or so... Some need 9-10 or more... As long as you don't feel tired and don't have the need to "catch-up" on sleep, functioning normally, then i don't see a problem....
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 33-year-old member asked:

How can I get more hours of sleep per night if i can't go to bed early?

1 doctor answer1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Donald Jacobson
A Verified Doctoranswered
42 years experience
Sleep hygiene: First practice sleep hygiene (type term in browser for details). Take melatonin two hours before desired sleep time. Purchase and faithfully wear blue-blocker sunglasses to block stimulation of the ganglion cells of the retina which, in bright light (such as in front of a computer like I am now) send a message to the brain that it is not time to sleep. No caffeine and no alcohol.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Last updated May 26, 2016
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