So confused

I originally thought that the whole eight-hours-of-sleep thing was just a very popular joke. But then I was told that hardly being able to sleep for 30 minutes straight is almost an alien concept. Can I get this cleared up?
Thank you.
-Alice Who Eats

Yes 8 hours is the general rule of thumb. I find it hard to believe you are just starting to question your sleeping habits now, if you do suffer from only sleeping in intervals of 30 minutes or less (which I imagine is an exaggeration), health problems would have arisen years ago. That seems like intense insomnia but it is not unheard of. It is definitely worth seeing a sleep specialist.