I changed my sleeping schedule for a month. Just one hour less of sleep had a profound effect on my energy levels.
My typical sleeping schedule on weekdays is from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m., and it’s been this way for over a year.
But for the month of September, I tried something new. Instead of my usual 9 hours, I tried dropping it to 8 hours.
My motivation for the switch is that sometimes I wake up tired, and I thought it was from getting too much sleep. Though more often than not, I wake up with plenty of energy. Still, curiosity got the best of me.
One hour seems pretty harmless, right? In theory. Keep reading to see how this small change greatly affected my energy levels.
Like I said earlier, I usually get 9 hours of sleep. This typically gives me enough energy to get through the day, no naps or caffeine necessary (though sometimes enjoyed).
But I’ve also noticed that every now and then, when I get less rest than usual, I feel like I wake up with even more energy than usual the following morning.
I’m not sure why less sleep results in more energy in me sometimes, but it’s another motivational factor for continuing with this experiment.
This brings me to my hypothesis: getting one less hour of sleep would eliminate those occasional difficult mornings that I theorized were caused by too much rest.
It’s also important that I mention that I’m a morning person. I attribute this trait to my ability to wake up earlier with more energy than most of my peers in my age group.
This is why I thought a one-hour change would either have a positive or minimal effect on my energy levels. I was wrong.
The answer depends on multiple factors, including genetic, behavioral, environmental, and social factors, and will therefore vary for every individual. Health status is another major driver of sleep duration.
According to a 2018 research review on sleep durations across the life span, the general recommendation for adults:
- older than 64 is between 7 and 8 hours
- younger than 64 is between 7 and 9 hours
Based on my age, this means that both my regular sleeping schedule and experimental one fit within these guidelines.
Getting too much sleep
Just as you’ve heard of getting too little sleep, there’s also such a thing as getting too much. I thought my occasional tiredness upon waking up was a result of too much rest.
It could also be from “sleep inertia,” which describes the periodic grogginess you feel upon waking up. It usually lasts 30 minutes but can take up to 2 hours to wear off.
While natural on occasion, frequent sleep inertia could be a sign of an underlying health condition. Since it was infrequent for me, I thought changing my sleep schedule could help improve it — or even eliminate it.
Seeking medical attentionIf you have trouble waking up most mornings, get more than enough rest and still feel tired, or consistently do not get enough sleep, consider speaking with your doctor. They may discuss natural remedies or sleep aids that can help you get quality rest.
After 30 long days, here’s my full review:
My new schedule
Instead of setting my alarm for 8 a.m. on weekdays in September, I set it for 7 a.m. I still went to bed around 11 p.m., but I didn’t set a wake-up alarm or go to bed at 11 p.m. on weekends, so let’s ignore my weekend habits in the results.
I know I should have the same sleep-wake schedule every day — including on weekends — but you can’t blame me for wanting to wake up without an alarm sometimes! (And besides, sleeping in on weekends might be good for you.)
The early days
The first couple of days went smoothly. I slept fine and had no trouble waking up, which was the result I had been anticipating.
But by the third day, less sleep started to affect me. I couldn’t help but take a one-hour afternoon nap, the only day I allowed myself a nap.
I struggled to fully wake up most days compared to before, when I could jump out of bed as soon as my alarm went off (excluding the periodic days I woke up groggy).
Still, I continued with the challenge, hoping that waking up earlier might reduce that occasional grogginess.
Why did I do this to myself?
Even as a morning person, getting 8 hours of sleep instead of 9 made it much harder to wake up. I found myself taking microsleeps — brief moments of sleep — most days until I forcefully willed myself out of bed.
Once out of bed, having eaten, and at my work desk 30 minutes to an hour later, I still didn’t feel fully alert or well-rested.
This tiredness lingered over me throughout most of the day, making it harder to focus and stay productive. Some days I felt moodier than others. Nevertheless, I persisted.
The only day after those initial two that I felt well-rested at 7 a.m. was once when I went to bed at 10 p.m.
I tried to keep my bedtime constant for the duration of the challenge, but that night, I was just so tired. The rest of the challenge, I avoided earlier-than-scheduled bedtimes.
Throughout September, I couldn’t wait for this challenge to be over. I was tired of being tired all. the. time.
Though I have occasionally felt more awake after shorter nights, doing it consistently for a month had the opposite effect.
My original hypothesis — that 9 hours was too much sleep — was incorrect. It turns out that it’s exactly what I need. The days that I wake up tired after getting 9 full hours must be anomalies.
The one good thing to come out of this was wrapping up my work day an hour earlier since I started sooner, which gave me more time to myself in the evening.
Regardless, I will resume my regular 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. sleep schedule and not adopt this experimental schedule.
A quick tip
If you plan to alter your sleep schedule, it’s generally recommended that you slowly change it, say, 15 to 30 minutes every few days, instead of suddenly adopting a new one.
Perhaps my eagerness to jump right into the challenge affected my results and prevented me from developing a more positive opinion.
Since the recommended amount of sleep for people my age is 7 to 9 hours, I thought I’d try getting 8 hours instead of my usual 9.
Just one hour less had a profound effect on my energy levels. I woke up tired most days, compared to waking up tired only some days on my old sleeping schedule. I also carried this tiredness with me throughout the day.
My conclusion? My hypothesis was wrong, and 9 hours of sleep is exactly what I need.
If you’re concerned about your sleep quality, speak with your doctor. Regular low quality sleep could be a sign of an underlying health condition. Proper treatment could help you get the shut-eye you deserve.