I feel like I always have a 1.5-2.5 hour gap between my hours of sleep and my sleep needed 
I am in bed for 8 or so hours each night which equates to 6.5-7.5 hours of sleep. My sleep needed is around 10 hours a night.
I am very active but 10 hours a night seems like I’d have to be in bed for half the day to meet my sleep needs! The large gap feels discouraging and like I will never close it.
Anyone else run into this issue or have advice?
I totally get how frustrating it can be to feel like you’re always behind on sleep. But the good news is, there are some small things you can do that might actually make a big difference over time… at least they did for me. If you’re going to bed for 8 hours but only sleeping 6-7 hours, there’s probably some room to improve your sleep quality. Things like making your room darker, cooling it down a bit (around 68 degrees is ideal), and blocking out noise can help. It also makes a big difference to stay off your phone or screens an hour or two before bed—blue light can mess with your ability to fall asleep.
What you do during the day matters too. Try to drink water steadily throughout the day instead of a ton at night so you’re not waking up to pee. Cut off caffeine at least 8 hours before bed. And if you drink alcohol, having it earlier in the evening helps—otherwise it can mess with your deep sleep. Having a little evening routine to wind down (like reading, stretching, or even just dimming the lights) can help your body know it’s time to relax.
Another thing to keep in mind is strain. On days where you’re pushing yourself hard, your body needs more sleep to recover. So if you can alternate between high-strain and lower-strain days, that can help your body catch up a bit.
And finally, don’t stress about getting a perfect 8 hours of sleep each night… adding just 20 to 30 more minutes of solid sleep a night can really add up. It’s all about small, steady improvements over time.