---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Based on the science, you can make…"
description: "\"Based on the science, you can make somewhat clear statements: The number of people who can survive on six hours of sleep without impairment is zero.\" —..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/matthew-walker-9547_people_based-on-the-science-you-can-make-somewh_2355212.jpg"
---

#  Based on the science, you can make somewhat clear…

![“Based on the science, you can make somewhat clear statements: The number of people who can survive on six hours of sleep without impairment is zero.” quote by Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/matthew-walker-9547_people_based-on-the-science-you-can-make-somewh_2355212.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/matthew-walker-9547_people_based-on-the-science-you-can-make-somewh_2355212.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/matthew-walker-9547_people_based-on-the-science-you-can-make-somewh_2355212.jpg)

> “Based on the science, you can make somewhat clear statements: The number of people who can survive on six hours of sleep without impairment is zero.”

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

No one can function well on only six hours of sleep; adequate rest is essential.

**In simple terms:** Six hours of sleep isn’t enough for anyone.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize getting enough sleep.

Themes

health productivity well‑being

Mood

urgent practical

Type

advice informative

When to use this quote

- work schedules
- study habits
- night shifts
- travel

Key Concepts

sleep physiology cognitive performance

Questions to Reflect On

- Can you adjust your routine for more sleep?
- What tasks suffer most when you’re sleep‑deprived?

A Different Perspective

Sleep deprivation impairs judgment and health over time.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/)

## Related quotes

> [I've managed to achieve a lot because I sleep very little. I tend to survive on about four hours a night, but when I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-miller/i-ve-managed-to-achieve-a-lot-because-i-sleep-very-little-i-tend-to/)

[Gina Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-miller/)

> [The most important thing is sleep. My mom can survive on four hours of sleep; I cannot. I need a solid eight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-louderman/the-most-important-thing-is-sleep-my-mom-can-survive-on-four-hours-of/)

[Taylor Louderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-louderman/)

> [If we didn't need eight hours of sleep and could survive on six, Mother Nature would have done away with 25 percent of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/if-we-didn-t-need-eight-hours-of-sleep-and-could-survive-on-six/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

> [Below seven hours of sleep, there are objective impairments in the body. Eight hours are recommended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/below-seven-hours-of-sleep-there-are-objective-impairments-in-the/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

> [If I work until 10 o'clock in the morning and then my call time's 5:30 that night or whatever, I don't go home and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-grossman/if-i-work-until-10-o-clock-in-the-morning-and-then-my-call-time-s-5/)

[Leslie Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-grossman/)

> [Eight hours of work, eight hours of play, eight hours of sleep - eight hours a day!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-haywood/eight-hours-of-work-eight-hours-of-play-eight-hours-of-sleep-eight/)

[Bill Haywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-haywood/)

> [Life isn't a 24/7 merry go round. If it were, you wouldn't get the 7 hours of sleep necessary to keep you fit and sane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-leo/life-isn-t-a-24-7-merry-go-round-if-it-were-you-wouldn-t-get-the-7/)

[Jacqueline Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-leo/)

> [I always try to get at least eight hours of sleep each night. It's the best thing I can do for my body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-cameron/i-always-try-to-get-at-least-eight-hours-of-sleep-each-night-it-s-the/)

[Candace Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-cameron/)

> [As a student you just have to accept the fact that you're always going to be tired no matter how many hours of sleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-a-student-you-just-have-to-accept-the-fact-that-you-re-always/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I always map out how to get a good eight or nine hours of sleep before I even start my day. And my rule…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/i-always-map-out-how-to-get-a-good-eight-or-nine-hours-of-sleep/)

[Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/)

> [I like to get more than my normal 10 hours of sleep nights before a game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/i-like-to-get-more-than-my-normal-10-hours-of-sleep-nights-before-a/)

[Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/)

> [I need nine hours of sleep because of all the activity I do. It doesn't always happen, but I really try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-ivanovic/i-need-nine-hours-of-sleep-because-of-all-the-activity-i-do-it-doesn/)

[Ana Ivanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-ivanovic/)

> [Personally, I enjoy working about 18 hours a day. Besides the short catnaps I take each day, I average about four to five hours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/personally-i-enjoy-working-about-18-hours-a-day-besides-the-short/)

[Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/)

> [I find I am most productive with at least six hours of sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandana-dayani/i-find-i-am-most-productive-with-at-least-six-hours-of-sleep/)

Mandana Dayani

> [Leisure time is that five or six hours when you sleep at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen-sr/leisure-time-is-that-five-or-six-hours-when-you-sleep-at-night/)

[George Allen, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen-sr/)

## More by Matthew Walker

> [“Routinely sleeping less than six or seven hours a night demolishes your immune system, more than doubling your risk of cancer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/routinely-sleeping-less-than-six-or-seven-hours-a-night-demolishes/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

> [You're trying to sleep off a debt that you've lumbered your brain and body with during the week, and wouldn't it be lovely if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/you-re-trying-to-sleep-off-a-debt-that-you-ve-lumbered-your-brain-and/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

> [“The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep.”VII”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/the-best-bridge-between-despair-and-hope-is-a-good-night-s-sleep-vii/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

> [I think we perhaps are, with sleep, where we were with smoking about 50 years ago, in that we had all of the science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/i-think-we-perhaps-are-with-sleep-where-we-were-with-smoking-about-50/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

> [It's simply that older adults don't seem to be able to generate sleep efficiently, and that's why they're not getting it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/it-s-simply-that-older-adults-don-t-seem-to-be-able-to-generate-sleep/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

> [The time of night when you sleep makes a significant difference in terms of the structure and quality of your sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/the-time-of-night-when-you-sleep-makes-a-significant-difference-in/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

> [Do you tend to sleep in during the weekends? That usually signals that you're trying to sleep off a debt you've accumulated during the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/do-you-tend-to-sleep-in-during-the-weekends-that-usually-signals-that/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

> [No one wants to give up time with their family or entertainment, so they give up sleep instead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/no-one-wants-to-give-up-time-with-their-family-or-entertainment-so/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

> [If sleep does not provide a remarkable set of benefits, then it's the biggest mistake the evolutionary process has ever made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/if-sleep-does-not-provide-a-remarkable-set-of-benefits-then-it-s-the/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

> [Your subjective sense of how well you're doing under conditions of sleep deprivation is a miserable predictor of, objectively, how you actually are doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/your-subjective-sense-of-how-well-you-re-doing-under-conditions-of/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

> [If you were not to set an alarm clock, would you sleep past it? If the answer is yes, then there is clearly more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/if-you-were-not-to-set-an-alarm-clock-would-you-sleep-past-it-if-the/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

> [Friends say, 'Shall we go out to dinner at 8?' I say, 'I can't, I'm a 10 A.M.-till-6:30 P.M. kind of guy.' I keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/friends-say-shall-we-go-out-to-dinner-at-8-i-say-i-can-t-i-m-a-10-a-m/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

> [I give myself a non-negotiable eight-hour sleep opportunity every night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/i-give-myself-a-non-negotiable-eight-hour-sleep-opportunity-every/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

> [We know that efficiency and effectiveness are increased when you're getting sufficient sleep, and it will take you longer to do the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/we-know-that-efficiency-and-effectiveness-are-increased-when-you-re/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

> [As you try to tweak your sleep one way or the other, you might be, you might be doing great - you might do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/as-you-try-to-tweak-your-sleep-one-way-or-the-other-you-might-be-you/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

[Explore all 72 Matthew Walker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

## More People quotes

> [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/)

[Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/)

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/)

[Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/)

> [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/)

[Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/)

> [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/)

[Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/)

> [I feel like the future is unwritten. So many of the things that we write now haven't been about educating people on the environment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-feel-like-the-future-is-unwritten-so-many-of-the-things-that-we/)

[John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/)

> [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/)

[Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/)

> [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/)

[Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/)

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/for-us-who-are-now-in-power-we-need-to-be-challenged-to-serve-the/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/)

[Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/)

> [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/)

[David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/)

> [Some people give you that motivation to work harder simply to get the hell away from wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/some-people-give-you-that-motivation-to-work-harder-simply-to-get-the/)

[Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/)

> [Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/pain-is-meant-to-wake-us-up-people-try-to-hide-their-pain-but-they-re/)

[Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/)

[Browse all 211,607 People quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Based on the science, you can make somewhat clear statements: The number of people who can survive on six hours of sleep without impairment is zero.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Matthew Walker"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/based-on-the-science-you-can-make-somewhat-clear-statements-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "People"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/based-on-the-science-you-can-make-somewhat-clear-statements-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/matthew-walker-9547_people_based-on-the-science-you-can-make-somewh_2355212.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/matthew-walker-9547_people_based-on-the-science-you-can-make-somewh_2355212.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/matthew-walker-9547_people_based-on-the-science-you-can-make-somewh_2355212.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Based on the science, you can make somewhat clear statements: The number of people who can survive on six…” — Matthew Walker",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Matthew Walker",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Based on the science, you can...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/based-on-the-science-you-can-make-somewhat-clear-statements-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/based-on-the-science-you-can-make-somewhat-clear-statements-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
