(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Some people, according to this article, only need 4 to 6 hrs sleep to function normally.
I'm not one of them, I can do it, but walk around like a zombie.
Studies have claimed the drowsey driving is causing 1500 deaths per yr on US highways and is being equated to DUI for being as dangerous to drivers.

How much sleep do you need to function??


(CNN) -- For most of us, setting the clock forward in the spring is a sad occasion, a sign that we're losing an hour of sleep.
Daylight saving time begins Sunday at 2 a.m. in most of the U.S. -- except for Hawaii and Arizona.
But for some genetically blessed people, a loss of one hour of sleep is not a problem. In fact, sleeping fewer than the recommended seven or eight hours is the norm. They naturally feel refreshed and ready to go -- at 4 a.m.
These "short sleepers" have a mutation on a gene known as hDEC2, that regulates their sleep-wake cycle. This mutation allows them to function on less sleep, researchers say.
There have been purported short sleepers such as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, actor James Franco and domestic personality Martha Stewart. Whether they've been able to stave off sleep through genetics or willpower is unknown.


Certainly, a natural short sleeper has competitive advantages, but most people probably don't have the genetic mutation, said Ying-Hui Fu, professor of neurology at University of California San Francisco.
"It's hard to tell how frequent this mutation is," she said. Her lab has only found 20-30 people with the genetic mutation that researchers believe contribute to the ability to sleep less.
Many with this mutation hold down two jobs, have successful careers and enjoy diverse interests.
"Everyday, they have two to three more hours to do things," Fu said. "They're very active."


But problems arise when your body needs seven or eight hours, but you force yourself to function on less, sleep experts said.
Many people boast about their lack of sleep, like a badge of honor of being superhuman. But most likely, that sleep deprivation can make you less than super.
"You're tired, walking around tired," said Dr. David Volpi, a founding doctor of Manhattan Snoring and Sleep Center. "Your performance is poor, cognition is decreased and attention is decreased."
Sleep deprivation can cause increased driver's fatigue, drowsiness and poor hand-eye coordination. In the long run, people who sleep less than six hours have been found to have greater risks of mortality, obesity, heart attacks and stroke.
Most of us need about seven to eight hours of sleep, and some people need as much as 10.
Fu thinks people who aren't natural short sleepers "use artificial things to sleep less."
"Long term, it's more likely to cause health problems such as cardiovascular risks and cancer," she said.
It's unclear whether natural short sleepers risk health problems associated with sleep deprivation.

In a 2009 study published in Science, Fu and her colleagues from University of California San Francisco identified a mother and her adult daughter who regularly slept an average of 6.25 hours. Their blood tests showed that they had a particular mutation that affects their 24-hour cycle. There are probably more undiscovered genetic mutations that facilitate sleep patterns, Fu said.
"They wake up energetic," she said about the people with such genetic mutations. "Four to six hours -- that's their optimum sleep."


Seth Priebatsch, a 22-year-old tech entrepreneur and self-described Chief Ninja of SCVNGR, began his unorthodox sleeping habits when he was 12. He would rise early so he could work with a team based in India, getting only four to five hours a night. He's a short sleeper by choice, but he's been doing it for so long, it feels natural, to a point.
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i dont sleep, i wait :biggrin:

Most days im asleep at 2ish then up at half 7 quarter 8 without an alarm. Weekends can be anything from 1 til 5 or 6 in the morning and im still up at 11 at the very latest...

Maybe i should make more of an effort to go sleep earlier lol!

7 hours
6 hours just kills me lol

Depends on the person sooo

I get about 6 a night, I have the awful habit of starting homework at 11

I love sleeping so i get about 8-12 hours a night

i thought I was the only one for a second, sleeping's the best, im in bed minimum 8hrs, average like 11hrs a night

7 Hours really makes a better day for me.

I can get about 4, and be good with a 5 hour energy in the morning, don't rely on that though. NEVER take a sleeping pill, & get under 7 hours.

I get about 6 - 8 hours sleep a night and yet im still tired