How much sleep do we need? This is a question I asked myself while bottle feeding a cantankerous young lad this morning at 3:30AM. For some reason he didn’t understand that I had to work in the morning. Then again he’s only two weeks old, so I’ll give him a break.

Anyway, I’ve always wondered how much sleep each person needs. My assumption is it depends on the person. I’d say someone of my age (i.e. 31) and shape (i.e. slightly rotund) needs around eight hours of sleep. Since having our baby I’ve gotten about five to six each night. While I’m adjusting, I think eight hours is more apropos.

Apparently the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine agrees with me. They state “For most adults, 7 to 8 hours a night appears to be the best amount of sleep, although some people may need as few as 5 hours or as many as 10 hours of sleep each day.” Unless you hear differently, consider myself in the former group.