Sleep

Contrary to popular belief, there is no ideal number when it comes to how much sleep a person needs each night. While eight hours is widely considered the benchmark for sleep, that number is more arbitrary than absolute. Researchers are discovering that how much sleep a person needs depends largely on the individual and his or her situation. Researchers are finding is that two factors have the biggest influence on how much sleep a person needs each night. One is a person's basal sleep need. Basal sleep need refers to how much sleep a person's body needs on a regular basis for optimal performance. This varies greatly depending on the individual. The second factor is a person's sleep debt. Sleep debt is the accumulation of sleep lost, whether it's sleep lost to sickness, environmental changes, or just overall poor sleeping habits. Some research has suggested that sleep debt can impact how a person feels for a long time, evenif that person has met their basal sleep need several nights in a row.