This is certainly a common perception, @cmplxty:
"I wonder when I will transition to someone who needs less sleep as I get older. I know that I've heard a lot of people say, some people in my family included, when they are in their 50's or 60's they just sleep less for whatever reason."
Is it true? Particularly when focusing on the word "needs?" While the fact is it not uncommon to sleep less with age, I would not necessarily agree that means it is less needed. It is an important topic, when it comes to our overall health.
Two books I have read relatively recently on the topic, both of which have a lot to say about sleep:
- "Outlive," by Peter Attia MD
- "Good Energy," by Casey Means MD
As a bonus, if it is of interest, they both taking different directions in addressing the same basic question of how our existing medical system is letting us down. For the Americans, with the appointment of RJK, Jr. to HHS Secretary, it will be interesting to see what unfolds, in addressing this.
"The fine line of just enough water and too much water is a hairy one that's for sure!"
Drinking enough water is not a trivial topic. Timing is key, as your post suggests. If we get that wrong, it definitely has an impact on our sleep. Years ago, I finally established a pretty consistent routine of drinking half my weight in ounces of water. It really was beneficial, in a number of ways.
To overcome the challenge of it waking me up, though, I had to consistently get it all down in the morning and early to mid afternoon. With the goal of being finished by ~ 5:00 or so, in the evening. That allows plenty of time to let it pass through, before going to bed.
Yeah I know both of those people well, though Casey isn't really a doctor because she only finished medical school not residency, so there's a bit of an odd element there - a little like false credential.
Sleep is for sure important - it's one of the best ways for us to repair all the synapses from the day and for men it's how we help our bodies produce testosterone in sufficient amounts. Lots of reasons why we need it!
I think the challenge becomes doing what we need to do in a day, which is a lot, and getting adequate sleep.
Before bed I will usually drink 6 ounces of water or so for the vitamins I take, and then I'm ok! I won't wake up to pee which is good, except if I drink a beer haha.