This people’s group is at the extreme end of the spectrum, but if you need three hours' sleep then that's what you need, and if you need 11 hours the same applies!
It's easier for an 11-hour-a-night person to lose an hour than it is for a three-hour person.
The question arises: were these people really short sleepers, or did they just not allow themselves more sleep?
• Power naps are good for you
True: Naps give rise to all sorts of biological benefits, such as cell repair, hormonal maintenance and better heart function. One sleep researcher from the Institute for Biological Studies said that slipping rapidly in and out of rest maximizes such benefits.
And a 20-minute afternoon nap gives more rest than sleeping for 20 more minutes in the morning.
• Sleep alone and you sleep better
True: At least, that is, if you're one of the 23 per cent of partnered adults who featured in a 2005 NSF survey, and frequently slept solo because of their loved one's bad nocturnal habits.
Along with the survey of 1,506 adults, disruptive bedmates caused their partners to lose an average of 49 minutes' sleep a night.
• You can 'catch up' on sleep
True: But it may not be that good for you. According to research, teenagers catch up on lost shut-eye by 'binge sleeping', which does help replenish stores of sleep.It has a negative impact, because it's giving the brain a different message about when night time is - not so useful for Monday morning when it's time to get back to work.
• Sleeping on your side helps you stop snoring
True: Snoring is worse when you lie on your back, because your tongue relaxes and blocks your airway, so lying on your side can help.
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