Typically upon reading a problem, I either see the solution immediately, or get stuck with no idea how to proceed. Getting stuck usually means spending hours just thinking about it slowly, getting distracted, and failing to make any progress.

What is the optimal amount of time to keep thinking about a tough problem before reading the editorial solution?

For example, if I spend 5-6 hours in "stuck" mode, not working on anything else, and often still failing to solve the problem in the end — it seems like an inefficient waste of valuable practice time.

Of course, just giving up and solving easy problems doesn't improve my skills either.