Have The Night Of Your Life

Fed up with catching less than 40 winks? Tap into the latest slumber science and put an end to anything less than 100 percent perfect snoozing.

- Jennifer Savin, Emily Pritchard,Katie Avis-Riordan, and Sophie Boyden

You know those nights when you stare at the ceiling, imagining to an outsider your eyes must resemble bloodshot Renny & Stimpy-style balls glowing in your skull? Yeah, those. If you have been experiencing more of them lately, do not worry. So has pretty much everyone. New research shows that the number of us struggling with our sleep rose from one in six to one in four since 2021—with anxiety named as the key culprit (hmm, wonder what could be causing that?), along with financial stress and the pressures of juggling modern life. So how can we ace something that should be so simple, but often isn’t?

How Long is a Piece of Sleep?

We all know the golden rule of eight hours a night, but actually, it turns out one size does not fit all. A review of 320 research papers concluded that seven to nine hours of shut-eye is optimal for over 18-year-olds, but one sleeping expert says it can be even less for some. “Individual sleep requirements are like height,” says UK-based Dr Neil Stanley, Author of How To Sleep Well. “To a large degree, it’s genetically determined and anywhere between four and 11 hours would be considered normal.” He advises listening to your body when trying to figure out your personal magic number. “It’s simply the amount of sleep that allows you to wake up alert and refreshed the following day,” explains Dr Neil. If you are nodding off again by midafternoon, try tweaking your bedtime and tracking your body’s response in order to identify your sweet spot.

What Happens When You Are Asleep?