Everyone needs sleep. That’s the universal value of this challenge. We’re all a little different. Only, we’re not that different. While much has been made of the differences between humans, particularly regarding ethnicity and culture, all humans share strong similarities in the context of sleep. It’s easy to identify differences between people who were born in different countries, have a different gender, or wear different clothes. Despite those differences, if those people are close in age, they are likely to share the same requirements for sleep. It’s a good reminder of our humanity. Consider two people of the same age. One is the richest prince in Europe, the other an orphan in the poorest town in Africa. Both have the same need to sleep each night for roughly the same number of hours. We are all connected by this. It’s in our programming.
When you ignore the sleep you body needs you are ignoring basic needs and putting yourself at a disadvantage. It’s a strange irony that our wealth has caused so many of us to choose to sleep less. In a time when lighting was more expensive and fewer sources of entertainment were available at night, people went to sleep earlier. We may live in modern times with far more resources and knowledge than any prior civilizations, but we frequently squander that advantage in terms of sleep.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, here’s the recommended hours of sleep for you and your loved ones.
Take note, this recommendation is solely based on age. Your IQ, income, heritage, or location aren’t reflected on the chart. While we all need a slightly different amount of sleep, it’s unlikely that you’re one of the exceptions that needs hours less sleep than average. It’s ok to be average in some areas, especially sleep. In fact, when it comes to sleep, average is best. Be average and get the hours of sleep you need. You deserve it already.