--- title: Do You Really Need 8 Hours of Sleep? | TIME description: Do You Really Need 8 Hours of Sleep? canonical: https://time.com/video/o0FTMkL0/ og:title: Do You Really Need 8 Hours of Sleep? og:description: Do You Really Need 8 Hours of Sleep? og:url: https://time.com/video/o0FTMkL0/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/o0FTMkL0/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Do You Really Need 8 Hours of Sleep? twitter:description: Do You Really Need 8 Hours of Sleep? twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/o0FTMkL0/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # Do You Really Need 8 Hours of Sleep? > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: Do You Really Need 8 Hours of Sleep? [Watch (HLS stream): Do You Really Need 8 Hours of Sleep?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/o0FTMkL0.m3u8) (2:25)  _Published 2015-05-15. Do You Really Need 8 Hours of Sleep?_ --- Jul 27, 2023 6:16 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [Daylight Saving Time: Here's What Losing An Hour of Sleep Really Does to Your Body](/video/Sq5cPO5f/) ### Daylight Saving Time: Here's What Losing An Hour of Sleep Really Does to Your Body [How Sleep Loss Affects Your Heart](/video/EE7iJwKQ/) ### How Sleep Loss Affects Your Heart [Really](/video/weSH5utp/) ### Really --- ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] You're watching Everwell. Know more, live better. If I don't get at least eight hours of sleep, I'm tired, I'm crabby, I'm sluggish, I have trouble thinking clearly, making decisions. I'd say people need around, you know, eight hours of sleep and but when you're younger your just able to still function with less If you think about it, sleep is a lot like weight. There's an ideal we're all suppose to meet but few of us do. So is getting less than the recommended eight hours a night really bad for us? Well a lot less is a problem. But if you're getting a little less, there's probably no need to lose sleep over it. Routinely sleeping less than seven hours a night leads to reduced attention, concentration, and memory in most people according to research. One result is an increased risk of car accidents, but individuals vary widely in how they're effected and how much [ MUSIC ] Getting six hours of sleep, for example, can have a severe impact on some people and barely make a difference in others. Though you may think you fall in the second category, it can be hard to judge accurately for yourself. Studies amongst sleep deprived people show that they often overestimate their alertness on tasks like driving. [ NOISE ] As for the effects on our health Studies overall have linked less than six hours a night with an increased risk of heart disease, strokes, diabetes, obesity, and premature death. Interestingly, getting lots of z's, meaning nine or more hours a night, is also associated with these risks. But it's unclear whether sleeping that much is the cause of health problems, or just the result. There's no evidence that sleeping in on weekends is harmful, and it may help make up for lost sleep during the week, but not entirely. Your best bet is to consistently get seven or eight hours a night. If your reaction to that is, dream on Try turning off that TV and shutting down your computer a little earlier every evening. It could help make that dream of getting more sleep a reality. 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