[krillbee]

Well, I've noticed that my sleeping record is kinda crazy. Some days I can sleep for 12 hours before getting up, even when I havent been sleep deprived the night before.

Why is this? For example: tonight I sat down to do homework, but was tired, so i went to bed and slept for 4 hours. Now I'm up and wide awake and cant sleep. I'll probably need to sleep an additional 8 hours between 4:00am and 12:00pm or something. (I dont have class til later in the day)

What's going on? If I sleep until I am wide awake (which is how it goes usually) does that mean that I am getting enough sleep, or too much?

[Dakar]

I have the same issues as well. I think part of it is time of day, and part of it is nutrition intake.

My biggest question is why I can get up on a Saturday (between 12 - 3 pm) with 10 hours sleep, watch some TV on the couch and fall asleep for an additional 2 - 4 hours, yet come home after work one day with less than 4 hours sleep, get a 3 or 4 hour nap in, and be wired for 6 - 8 more hours.

[wdlove]

It is smart to have a routine time to go to bed and get up. Most of us need about 7 - 8 hours of sleep. Should not do strenuous physical activity prior to be.

[Shaddim]

I sleep about 3-4 hours /day, like clockwork. Don't take naps, and I feel healthy and energized for the rest of the day. However, there's one day each month that my body says, "I need more, buddy". Then I'll crash for like 12 hours. It's really odd, but that's been my schedule for over 20 years now.

[spatterson]

I sleep on average 7 to 9 hrs a day. Depending on how early I have to wake up. On the weekends I normally can't sleep past 8 or 9am... because I'm so used to getting up at 650am

[Andy8]

Originally Posted by MacNStein

I sleep about 3-4 hours /day, like clockwork. Don't take naps, and I feel healthy and energized for the rest of the day. However, there's one day each month that my body says, "I need more, buddy". Then I'll crash for like 12 hours. It's really odd, but that's been my schedule for over 20 years now.

I am exactly like you, except i have 4-5 hours and wake up the same time everyday (without alarms) within a minute or so!

[wdlove]

Originally Posted by MacNStein

I sleep about 3-4 hours /day, like clockwork. Don't take naps, and I feel healthy and energized for the rest of the day. However, there's one day each month that my body says, "I need more, buddy". Then I'll crash for like 12 hours. It's really odd, but that's been my schedule for over 20 years now.

The important thing is that you listen to your body. It seems that you are doing just that.

[allblue]

Last year I saw some results of a long-term study in Sweden investigating any link between amount of sleep taken and longevity. The results showed that there appeared to be a direct corrolation between persistent sleep deprivation and shortened lifespan, which seems quite obvious. Surprisingly, they also discovered that too much sleep had a similar effect!
As for any one's individual requirements, as others have stated here each person will have their own optimum level, which you will find out soon enough in adulthood by trial and error. Women do tend, on average, to sleep a bit more than men.
Then there is the theory that humans are designed to sleep twice in a day, and whenever possible I try to take a little cat-nap in the afternoon - 20mins to 1 hour max - and do feel very refreshed by it.