How to tell if you're getting enough sleep
When I do workshops, meet with patients, or speak with women in general, I’m almost always asked, “How do I know if I’m getting enough sleep?”
Most people rely on the 8-hour rule or metrics from their wearable devices, but it’s not that straightforward. There are better, more personalized ways to assess whether you’re getting enough sleep.
For adults, the recommended amount of sleep is 7–9 hours; however, individual sleep needs are influenced by a range of factors such as age, genetics, lifestyle, and life stage.
This is especially true for women, as among other factors, sleep is impacted by hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle and during life stages such as pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause.
Rather than over-relying on sleep duration or wearables, take a more personalized approach that incorporates specific indicators of your sleep health.
Indicators of insufficient sleep:
Relying heavily on your alarm or hitting snooze repeatedly
Sleeping in on days off or weekends, especially by more than 1 hour
Overcompensating with caffeine or other stimulants
Daytime low energy, irritability, or difficulty with concentration and memory
Waking up feeling unrefreshed
Regularly needing to nap
Unintentionally falling asleep during the day (e.g., while sitting, reading, or watching TV)
If you sleep 8 hours and regularly experience these symptoms, there is a good chance that you’re not getting sufficient sleep.
Conversely, if you sleep 7 hours and don’t experience any of the symptoms, it’s possible that you’re getting the sleep you need.
That’s not to say that sleep duration doesn’t matter. If I meet with a patient who consistently sleeps 5 hours or one who sleeps more than 10, I view those as red flags that I need to explore further.
But for the people that fall in a more typical sleep duration range, the indicators above offer meaningful insights into their overall sleep quality.
A simple tip to try
If you regularly experience some of these symptoms, try adjusting your sleep in 15-minute increments every few days until you begin to feel more rested.
If you find yourself repeatedly hitting snooze or you’re able to delay your alarm, consider shifting your wake time 15 minutes later. Or, if you feel naturally sleepy earlier in the evening, try going to bed 15 minutes earlier.
I encourage women to start with this simple adjustment to see if their sleep improves. If it doesn't, there may be underlying factors such as sleep disorders, medications, or mental health conditions that are getting in the way of their sleep and health. We'll explore that in more detail in future newsletters.
Please take care of your sleep health. Sleep is not a piece of your health puzzle, it's what holds it together.
Sleep well,
Dr. Jess