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Interesting anecdote: At Marine Corps boot camp, and subsequently combat training, not enough sleep and plenty of exercise is the norm. I averaged somewhere ar

Interesting anecdote: At Marine Corps boot camp, and subsequently combat training, not enough sleep and plenty of exercise is the norm. I averaged somewhere around 5 hours a night, but never more than 7, and many times somewhere between 3 and 0. There wasn't a lot of pure exercise, but constant activity based exercise, and a lot of stress based exercise. I was mid 20s when I went through it, and had a couple of guys with me who had to get age waivers (30+). We all agreed it was the most alert we'd ever felt, and that when we slept, we slept hard and felt extremely well rested, even when sleeping on hard ground. Since exiting I spent many years feeling lethargic and burnt out from work, until I started training for a marathon. Now I have that same feeling, that it doesn't matter how much I sleep, and my body just feels more alive. Exercise, especially aerobic and cardio vascular, does wonders for your health, if you have time to do it right.

bamboozled 5y ago
I've had onset insomnia my whole life, I also workout a bunch. It's just a habit now. I feel the exact same way, I've actually had nights where I've only caught 4 hours sleep, woke up and ran 5kms, hiked mountains, lifted weights, rode bikes and felt as good as new. I only feel good if I workout. I've also had days where I've had 8 hours sleep, then sat around the house and I feel absolutely horrendous, usually, I end up going and doing some physical activity to feel better. I've always wondered if we're going to one day find out that the 8 hours sleep thing was wrong and that it's physical exercise we truly need.
- Pyramus 5y ago
  > I've always wondered if we're going to one day find out that the 8 hours sleep thing was wrong and that it's physical exercise we truly need. Two comments on that: The 8 hours sleep is a population average. It is very unlikely that you will need 8 hours of sleep, very likely your body will need more or less, and this will change as you age. You might very well be a 6 hours type. That would basically invalidate what we know from animals - they are most vulnerable when they sleep, so it's unlikely evolution mad a mistake given all animals sleep, even the ones that don't have brains.
  - bamboozled 5y ago
    The thing is though, I do feel like shit when I wake up after only 6 hours sleep :) It's jut exercise saves me. At least it feels like it does.
axiosgunnar 5y ago
Interesting, I‘ve always wondering how military personal managed to sleep so little and work so hard (physically)
arisAlexis 5y ago
Could all this be attributed to heightened cortisol levels throughout training which are supposedly toxic?

bamboozled 5y ago

I've had onset insomnia my whole life, I also workout a bunch. It's just a habit now. I feel the exact same way, I've actually had nights where I've only caught 4 hours sleep, woke up and ran 5kms, hiked mountains, lifted weights, rode bikes and felt as good as new. I only feel good if I workout. I've also had days where I've had 8 hours sleep, then sat around the house and I feel absolutely horrendous, usually, I end up going and doing some physical activity to feel better. I've always wondered if we're going to one day find out that the 8 hours sleep thing was wrong and that it's physical exercise we truly need.

Pyramus 5y ago
> I've always wondered if we're going to one day find out that the 8 hours sleep thing was wrong and that it's physical exercise we truly need. Two comments on that: The 8 hours sleep is a population average. It is very unlikely that you will need 8 hours of sleep, very likely your body will need more or less, and this will change as you age. You might very well be a 6 hours type. That would basically invalidate what we know from animals - they are most vulnerable when they sleep, so it's unlikely evolution mad a mistake given all animals sleep, even the ones that don't have brains.
- bamboozled 5y ago
  The thing is though, I do feel like shit when I wake up after only 6 hours sleep :) It's jut exercise saves me. At least it feels like it does.

axiosgunnar 5y ago

Interesting, I‘ve always wondering how military personal managed to sleep so little and work so hard (physically)

arisAlexis 5y ago

Could all this be attributed to heightened cortisol levels throughout training which are supposedly toxic?