November 15, 2024

How much sleep do you need? Let Garmin sleep coach do the math. 

Is seven hours of sleep enough for you? Is nine hours of sleep too much?  

It can be tough to figure out exactly how much shuteye you should be getting each night. Garmin sleep coach can help. 

Adults generally need between seven and nine hours of sleep. But just how much sleep you need varies. 

How Garmin estimates your sleep need 

Garmin sleep coach uses your age, daily and longer-term activity levels, recent sleep history, naps and heart rate variability (HRV) to estimate your personal sleep need in 10-minute intervals. 

Sleep coach won’t ever recommend you get less than seven hours or more than nine hours of sleep. 

When you wake up in the morning, your compatible Garmin smartwatch will tell you your estimated personal sleep need for the upcoming night. That number is updated during the day depending on your activity level and if you take any naps. 

Age 

While adults under age 35 need around eight hours of sleep as a baseline recommendation, that number decreases as you age. Experts recommend adults over age 65 get around 7.5 hours of sleep. 

Activity history 

It’s important to find a balance between challenging activities and recovery time. A tough workout can increase the amount of sleep you need, while a day spent lounging on the couch can reduce your sleep need. 

Garmin sleep coach looks at your daily and past activity when determining your sleep need. We recommend recording activities with your compatible Garmin product, such as Venu^® 3, fēnix^® 8 and more, to ensure those are fully accounted for. Plus, your device will include automatically recorded activity minutes. 

Sleep history 

You know those nights where you don’t get enough sleep and wake up feeling groggy? That’s called a sleep debt. You can make up for it the following night by getting extra sleep. The opposite applies too: If you get extra sleep, that can reduce how much you need for the following night — that’s called sleep banking. 

That said, one good night won’t erase several nights of poor sleep. But one bad night of sleep can be mitigated with a pattern of good sleep. 

Naps 

While napping can’t replace the deep sleep you need nightly, it can alleviate tiredness and reduce your sleep need. (And who doesn’t love quality nap time?) 

Heart rate variability 

HRV is the length of time between your heartbeats. The difference in milliseconds can help determine your sleep needs. 

Generally, the higher your HRV, the less stressed and well-recovered you are. Lower HRV levels are associated with stress or recovery needs from exercise, infection or drinking alcohol. 

Ready to finally know how much sleep you need? Learn more about Garmin sleep coach here.