How many hours of sleep do you ACTUALLY need?

I get asked this all the time - how many hours of sleep do I actually need?

It comes down to a few things - and of the most important is your chronotype.?

After writing my book Bear, Lion, Wolf , which focused on chronotypes, I am happy to share this insight with you - as I know it stumps many of us.

Essentially:

• Lions - need the least sleep (7 hours)
• Bears - need the most sleep (9 hours)
• Wolves - need a medium amount of sleep (7-9)

This is largely due to our genes - certain genes correlate with each sleep type, and also, correlate with sleep lengths.

This is so important to know, as many Bears think there is something wrong with them - because they need more sleep than others.

Similarly, Wolves, who typically struggle to sleep (because they don't feel tired until 1-2am),?often feel like there is something wrong with them too, because they are always tired. This is because you actually need 7-9 hours of sleep, but usually don't get it.?

Lastly, Lions,although you technically need to least amount of sleep, if it's not high quality, you'll wake after your 7 or so hours and still feel tired too.

Similarly, another factor at hand here is your genes overall.

For example, a 2009 research paper found that a mutation of the DEC2 gene need less sleep - only need 6.25 hours to feel rested, compared to 8.06 hours needed for those without the mutation to feel rested.

All in all, if you need less or more sleep than others, it's ok! There is nothing wrong with you - it's just your biology - and because of such, you should aim to work with it, rather than against.

Hence, in order to do so, make sure you know your chronotype - click here and take my quiz.

Happy to answer any questions you may have!

Olivia