"You know that feeling when your alarm goes off after a full eight hours of sleep, but you feel like you've been hit by a truck? You drag yourself out of bed, wondering how it's possible to feel more tired than when you went to sleep. Meanwhile, everyone keeps telling you that eight hours is the magic number for perfect rest."
"I learned this the hard way during a particularly stressful project deadline. I was religiously getting my eight hours, tracking every minute on my sleep app like it was a competition. But I'd wake up feeling like I'd run a marathon in my sleep. The problem? I was basically marinating in stress hormones all night. Sure, I was unconscious for eight hours, but my body wasn't actually recovering."
Logging eight hours of sleep does not guarantee recovery when sleep quality is poor. Restorative sleep requires completion of full sleep cycles including deep sleep and REM, and frequent brief arousals can prevent physiological restoration. Chronic stress elevates hormones that fragment sleep even when total sleep time is adequate. Environmental issues like an uncomfortable mattress, excessive heat, or alcohol use can disrupt deep stages. Undiagnosed conditions such as sleep apnea and idiopathic hypersomnia can cause persistent daytime exhaustion despite sufficient time in bed. Monitoring fragmentation, improving sleep environment, and evaluating for medical disorders can help restore true rest.
Read at Silicon Canals
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