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How many hours should I sleep?

National Sleep Foundation guidelines. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov advise that healthy adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Babies, young children, and teens need even more sleep to enable their growth and development. People over 65 should also get 7 to 8 hours per night.

sleepfoundation.org - How Much Sleep Do We Really Need? - Sleep Foundation

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How Much Sleep Do We Really Need? Written by Eric Suni, Staff Writer Eric Suni Staff Writer Eric Suni has over a decade of experience as a science writer and was previously an information specialist for the National Cancer Institute. Read Full Bio Want to read more about all our experts in the field? Learn About The Editorial Team Medically Reviewed by Dr. Abhinav Singh, Sleep Physician Dr. Abhinav Singh Sleep Physician Dr. Singh is the Medical Director of the Indiana Sleep Center. His research and clinical practice focuses on the entire myriad of sleep disorders. Read Full Bio Want to read more about all our experts in the field? Learn About The Editorial Team Fact Checked Learn More Sleep Foundation Fact-Checking: Our Process At Sleep Foundation, we personally test every product featured in our reviews and guides. This hands-on approach allows us to provide accurate, data-driven recommendations for mattresses, pillows, sheets, and other sleep essentials. Guidelines for our testing methodology are as follows: We only cite reputable sources when researching our guides and articles. These include peer-reviewed journals, government reports, academic and medical associations, and interviews with credentialed medical experts and practitioners. All scientific data and information must be backed up by at least one reputable source. Each guide and article includes a comprehensive bibliography with full citations and links to the original sources. Some guides and articles feature links to other relevant Sleep Foundation pages. These internal links are intended to improve ease of navigation across the site, and are never used as original sources for scientific data or information. A member of our medical expert team provides a final review of the content and sources cited for every guide, article, and product review concerning medical- and health-related topics. Inaccurate or unverifiable information will be removed prior to publication. Plagiarism is never tolerated. Writers and editors caught stealing content or improperly citing sources are immediately terminated, and we will work to rectify the situation with the original publisher(s) Although Sleep Foundation maintains affiliate partnerships with brands and e-commerce portals, these relationships never have any bearing on our product reviews or recommendations. Read our full Advertising Disclosure for more information. Our team of writers, editors, and medical experts rigorously evaluates each article to ensure the information is accurate and exclusively cites reputable sources. We regularly assess how the content in this article aligns with current scientific literature and expert recommendations in order to provide the most up-to-date research. National Sleep Foundation guidelines Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov advise that healthy adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Babies, young children, and teens need even more sleep to enable their growth and development. People over 65 should also get 7 to 8 hours per night. Knowing the general recommendations for how much sleep you need is a first step. Then it’s important to reflect on your individual needs based on factors like your activity level and overall health. And finally, of course, it’s necessary to apply healthy sleep tips so that you can actually get the full night’s sleep that’s recommended.

Recommended Sleep Times By Age Group

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Recommended sleep times are broken down into nine age groups. In each group, the guidelines present a recommended range of nightly sleep duration for healthy individuals. In some cases, sleeping an hour more or less than the general range may be acceptable based on a person’s circumstances.

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

These guidelines serve as a rule-of-thumb for how much sleep children and adults need while acknowledging that the ideal amount of sleep can vary from person to person. For that reason, the guidelines list a range of hours for each age group. The recommendations also acknowledge that, for some people with unique circumstances, there’s some wiggle room on either side of the range for “acceptable,” though still not optimal, amount of sleep. Deciding how much sleep you need means considering your overall health, daily activities, and typical sleep patterns. Some questions that you help assess your individual sleep needs include:

Are you productive, healthy, and happy on seven hours of sleep? Or have you noticed that you require more hours of sleep to get into high gear?

Do you have coexisting health issues? Are you at higher risk for any disease?

Do you have a high level of daily energy expenditure? Do you frequently play sports or work in a labor-intensive job?

Do your daily activities require alertness to do them safely? Do you drive every day and/or operate heavy machinery? Do you ever feel sleepy when doing these activities?

Are you experiencing or do you have a history of sleeping problems?

Do you depend on caffeine to get you through the day?

When you have an open schedule, do you sleep more than you do on a typical workday?

Start with the above-mentioned recommendations and then use your answers to these questions to home in on your optimal amount of sleep.

How Were the Recommendations Created?

To create these recommended sleep times, an expert panel of 18 people was convened from different fields of science and medicine. The members of the panel reviewed hundreds of validated research studies about sleep duration and key health outcomes like cardiovascular disease, depression, pain, and diabetes. After studying the evidence, the panel used several rounds of voting and discussion to narrow down the ranges for the amount of sleep needed at different ages. In total, this process took over nine months to complete. Other organizations, such as the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and Sleep Research Society (SRS) have also published recommendations for the amount of sleep needed for adults Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov and children Trusted Source Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM) JCSM is the official, peer-reviewed journal of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. jcsm.aasm.org . In general, these organizations closely coincide in their findings as do similar organizations in Canada. Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Improve Your Sleep Today: Make Sleep a Priority

Once you have a nightly goal based on the hours of sleep that you need, it’s time to start planning for how to make that a reality. Start by making sleep a priority in your schedule. This means budgeting for the hours you need so that work or social activities don’t trade off with sleep. While cutting sleep short may be tempting in the moment, it doesn’t pay off because sleep is essential to being at your best both mentally and physically.

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Improving your sleep hygiene, which includes your bedroom setting and sleep-related habits, is an established way to get better rest. Examples of sleep hygiene improvements include:

Sticking to the same sleep schedule every day, even on weekends.

Practicing a relaxing pre-bed routine to make it easier to fall asleep quickly. Choosing the best mattress that is supportive and comfortable, and outfitting it with the best pillows and bedding. Minimizing potential disruptions from light and sound while optimizing your bedroom temperature and aroma. Disconnecting from electronic devices like mobile phones and laptops for a half-hour or more before bed. Carefully monitoring your intake of caffeine and alcohol and trying to avoid consuming them in the hours before bed. If you’re a parent, many of the same tips apply to help children and teens get the recommended amount of sleep that they need for kids their age. Pointers for parents can help with teens, specifically, who face a number of unique sleep challenges. Getting more sleep is a key part of the equation, but remember that it’s not just about sleep quantity. Quality sleep matters Trusted Source Medline Plus MedlinePlus is an online health information resource for patients and their families and friends. medlineplus.gov , too, and it’s possible to get the hours that you need but not feel refreshed because your sleep is fragmented or non-restorative. Fortunately, improving sleep hygiene often boosts both the quantity and quality of your sleep. If you or a family member are experiencing symptoms such as significant sleepiness during the day, chronic snoring, leg cramps or tingling, difficulty breathing during sleep, chronic insomnia, or another symptom that is preventing you from sleeping well, you should consult your primary care doctor or find a sleep professional to determine the underlying cause. You can try using our Sleep Diary or Sleep Log to track your sleep habits. This can provide insight about your sleep patterns and needs. It can also be helpful to bring with you to the doctor if you have ongoing sleep problems. If you're ready for more ⟶ sign up to receive our email newsletter! Your privacy is important to us. Thanks for the feedback - we're glad you found our work instructive! Was this article helpful? Yes No Thanks for the feedback - we're glad you found our work instructive! Submitting your Answer... About Our Editorial Team Eric Suni Staff Writer Eric Suni has over a decade of experience as a science writer and was previously an information specialist for the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Abhinav Singh Sleep Physician MD Dr. Singh is the Medical Director of the Indiana Sleep Center. His research and clinical practice focuses on the entire myriad of sleep disorders.

sleepfoundation.org - How Much Sleep Do We Really Need? - Sleep Foundation

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