Sleep

How many hours in a day can you sleep? All sorts of articles tell you that people with a basic 7 to 8 hours of sleep a day will function at their optimum. Well, not everyone is made the same. Some can survive with only 5 hours of sleep a day, but then again, some have been forced to follow that lifestyle. I think I'm a 7 to 8 hours of sleep kind of person.

I've done the 12 hours straight, with maybe a wake-up in the middle for a pee. I've also done the 3 hours only and survived the next day. I don't know if I can do both for a few days in a row... I haven't tried. I can't remember if I've gone without sleep for 3 to 4 days in a row thing. I might be too grumpy after the second day, not to mention the brain would be thinking, "Sleep mode... I've missed my sleep mode..."

On the other end of the spectrum, having to wake every 2.5 to 3 hours a night is actually not that bad. That's only because I get to do that for about 18 hours a day, at a time (I can't imagine doing that day after day, I think my back would give). I can understand the sleep deprivation that new mothers experience as they have to be awake for the rest of the day, after only doing night feeds for 6 hours in the night.