The pattern in this sequence alternates between two distinct sequences. The first sequence consists of numbers that are increasing: 8, 9, 10, 11. The second sequence consists of numbers that are decreasing: 6, 5, 4. To find the next number, we can continue both sequences.
Continuing the increasing sequence, after 11, the next number is 12. For the decreasing sequence, after 4, the next number is 3. Since we just completed the increasing sequence with 11, the next number we’re looking for should follow the decreasing pattern of 3.
Therefore, the next number in the sequence should be 3.