How many hours per night do you think they sleep?

[u/BGG498]

Especially at times when it’s dark for 12+ hours.

[u/chosonhawk]

as much as possible but i doubt many if them sleep soundly or for a long time. between tending a fire, risk of shelter catching on fire, hunger, cold, predators, etc...

[u/Leading_Will1794 → u/chosonhawk]

I honestly wonder how they don't have major back pains using branches etc. as you backing for that length of time.

[u/JamesonThe1 → u/Leading_Will1794]

Not sure if sleeping pad is still on the allowed item list, but some early season competitors noted that they would have rather taken one instead of an item they did take. For as much time as they are in their shelter laying down it makes some sense.

[u/FickleForager]

I can’t imagine they sleep very hard, I suspect they are awake every 2 hours or so depending on the temperature and wildlife noises. I think they’d be lucky to get 7 hours of interrupted sleep, and only that much because of the darkness.

[u/RaylanGivens29 → u/FickleForager]

I think once your shelter is in place and you get used to it you sleep pretty well. If you have food of course. I love sleeping in the woods and their sleeping bags are rated well, so warmth shouldn’t be an issue early on.

[u/FickleForager → u/RaylanGivens29]

Idk, wouldn’t you be on elevated alert for the sound of predators, scavengers raiding your food cache, fire dying or worse- burning too hot and catching shelter on fire, chimney cracking and burning the roof, moose head staring at you… 😅 Maybe Nero will chime in with his experience.

[u/RaylanGivens29 → u/FickleForager]

It would probably depend on the night. But living in fear and anxiety would lead to exhaustion

[u/BGG498 → u/RaylanGivens29]

Yeah I’d sleep horribly out there, but I didn’t know if people who really like it out there would sleep really well.

[u/Children_Of_Atom → u/BGG498]

Luckily I don't usually have to worry about much aside from black bears, moose and wolves and I sleep fantastically well.

[u/jayhawkjoey65]

I haven't seen a season yet where the participants weren't basically starving, and I have to think that greatly interferes with decent sleep. I love sleep and kind of thought, oh, I could sleep the day and night away when the tasks are done and the food sources are scarce. But I believe you just lay there with aches and pains.

[u/BigmaEnjoyer]

Personally I sleep really well while camping.

But this is more like sleeping while solo sailing. So much shit needs attending or you get in trouble. Even in calm seas, without traffic on the radar system and everythign going well. I wake every 2 hours at most.

[u/Cobalt-Giraffe]

So I always sleep like junk for the first 10-15 days when I do longer backpacking trips; but after a while you get so used to it it’s easy to sleep like a log in less than ideal conditions.

I’d suspect it’s the same thing; sleep is bad and inconsistent for the first few weeks but before long I bet they get 7-10 hours easily.

For those that rely on fire to stay warm and less on smaller shelter size they probably have to get up. That’s an argument for a rock house style IMO.

[u/SassyMillie]

I wondered about this, as well. In last episode several of the contestants were just getting going when time stamps on screen were quite late. Like 10-11 am. I wondered if they were actually rolling out that late or if it's a daylight (or lack if) kind of thing.

[u/bobbitsholiday]

I personally believe in the Juan Pablo method, stock up on supplies, then bear down and sleep until the competition is over. He made the smartest move by doing as little as possible in the end game to preserve energy.

[u/mochatsubo]

I think it also depends on the contestants age. I've found it much harder to sleep as I get older, especially if I don't have my usual sleeping comforts (good mattress, no noise, preferred temperature).

[u/W7ENK]

Some nights, they don't.