Experts agree that, throughout adulthood, most people should sleep for seven to nine hours per day. The amount of sleep needed varies from person to person and changes over a lifetime. People sleep more as children, and gradually need less sleep as they grow older. Show
Getting adequate sleep is essential to good health. Research shows that sleep affects almost every part of the human body. Sleep impacts concentration and learning, metabolism, immune function, and mood. When sleep quantity or quality aren’t sufficient, people are at increased risk of health problems like obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and depression. We cover how much sleep people need at each stage of life, along with tips for how to obtain adequate sleep. Sleep Recommendation GuidelinesThe National Sleep Foundation provides recommendations for how many hours of sleep people should obtain at each stage of life. Age Recommended Sleep Per 24-Hour Period Newborn, 0-3 months 14-17 hours Infant, 4-11 hours 12-16 hours Toddler, 1-2 years 11-14 hours Preschool, 3-5 years 10-13 hours School Age, 6-12 years 9-11 hours Teen, 13-18 years 8-10 hours Adult, 18-64 hours 7-9 hours Older Adult, 65+ years 7-8 hours Sleep Needs of Infants and Newborns (0-11 Months)According to experts, newborns up to 3 months old require 14 to 17 hours of sleep each 24-hour period, while infants between 4 and 11 months require 12 to 16 hours. Newborns and infants sleep more than any other age group. Normal sleep patterns for infants change rapidly during the first years of life.
Sleep plays an important role in the development of the brain, which grows rapidly during infancy. Research has shown that sleeping well in infancy is important for the proper development of many mental functions including:
Newborns also need sleep because their immune systems are not yet fully developed. Sleep in infancy plays a vital role in immune system development, including response to vaccination. When babies don’t get enough sleep, there are serious emotional and physical consequences, including increased separation anxiety, an increased likelihood of accidents and injuries, and a greater risk of obesity later in childhood. How Much Sleep Do Premature Babies Need?Premature infants who are born before 37 weeks of pregnancy typically sleep longer than infants who are born closer to their due date. While babies born at term usually spend about 70% of their time sleeping during the first six months, premature newborns spend about 90% of their time asleep – almost 22 hours a day. Sleep plays a crucial role in brain development for infants. Over the course of the first year, premature infants gradually develop sleep patterns that are similar to infants born at term. Infants who were born prematurely benefit from more naps than infants born at term, and they usually sleep for shorter stretches at night. They may be 6 to 8 months of age before they sleep six hours or longer at a stretch at night. Premature infants are all unique, so their sleep needs are not all the same. It may be helpful to speak with your pediatrician about the optimal amount of sleep for your infant and what kind of sleep patterns to expect during their first year. Sleep Needs of Toddlers (1-2 Years Old)Toddlers between 1 and 2 years old need to sleep between 11 and 14 hours during each 24-hour period. During the toddler years, a great deal of mental and physical growth occurs, including social, emotional, and behavioral development. Good sleep helps this important phase. Lack of adequate sleep can cause serious consequences for a child’s mental development, including their ability to control their emotions and behavior. By the time they are 18 months old, most toddlers sleep for long stretches at night and usually only take one nap a day. However, toddlers commonly resist going to sleep, and bedtime may be especially challenging if there are older siblings who have a later bedtime. Sleep Needs of Preschoolers (3-5 Years Old)Preschool children between the ages of 3 and 5 years old need 10 to 13 hours of sleep per 24-hour period. Because of the significant amount of mental, physical, and emotional development that occurs during these years, adequate sleep is very important. During sleep, the body produces growth hormone, which is essential for growth and development. In addition, other hormones are produced during sleep that help build muscle, fight illnesses, and repair tissue damage. Good sleep habits in early childhood promote good mental, social, emotional, and physical health. Getting enough sleep helps children feel better and cope with the demands of their day, while poor sleep can make their lives more challenging. In children of preschool age, sleep habits immensely change over time. Normal sleep patterns vary widely across children as well, with some regularly napping in addition to a longer period of sleep at night, while others no longer nap. Sleep Needs of School-Age Children (6-12 Years Old)School-age children from 6 to 12 years old need between 9 and 11 hours of sleep a day. Adequate sleep helps children focus and pay attention. Conversely, when they haven’t had enough sleep, school-age children are more prone to problems with mental performance, behavior, alertness, and mood. The impact of poor sleep is particularly noticeable on complex mental tasks. Additionally, getting enough sleep results in improved performance on cognitive tasks. Since most school-age children typically no longer nap, it is important to establish a bedtime that allows them to get adequate sleep before their morning wake-up time. Sleep Needs of Teens (13-17 Years Old)Experts recommend teens between the ages of 13 and 17 years old sleep for 8 to 10 hours per night. Getting enough sleep benefits adolescents due to the positive impact sleep has on the production of growth hormone, emotional control and behavior, and cognition, which is the ability to learn, remember, and reason. Unfortunately, it can be difficult for teens to get as much sleep as they need. An estimated 7 out of every 10 high school-aged teens do not get as much sleep as they need on school nights. Certain issues can make it hard for teens to get enough sleep.
Sleep is immensely important for teens, and a lack of it has been found to negatively affect brain development. Not getting enough sleep puts teens at increased risk of poor mental health, attention issues, behavioral problems, injury, diabetes, and obesity. Sleep Needs of Young Adults and Adults (18-64 Years Old)Most young adults and adults up to the age of 64 need seven to nine hours of sleep per night. People who sleep more than seven hours per night have a reduced risk for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and stroke. Getting adequate sleep also improves immune function and mental health. Better health is not the only benefit of getting enough sleep as an adult. Sufficient sleep during adulthood promotes the abilities to learn, remember, and reason. Maintaining sufficient sleep through middle age helps stave off cognitive decline, which is the forgetfulness and confusion that sometimes causes trouble as people age. During the adult years, people often have multiple academic, occupational, family-related, and other demands on their time. This can make it hard for them to carve out enough room in their schedule for adequate sleep. In the United States, almost 30% of adults report getting six hours or less of sleep each night. The many benefits of sleeping long enough make it worthwhile to make sleep a priority, even if it means adjusting your sleep schedule. How Much Sleep Do College Students Need?College students generally require the same amount of sleep as others in their age group. However, the demands and distractions of college life make it common for college students to get insufficient sleep. Research has shown that college students are often distracted from sleep by part-time jobs, staying up late to finish a research paper or study for an exam, and television. Research also suggests college students prioritize adequate sleep, because sleep deprivation has been found to negatively affect academic performance. Sleep loss causes learning impairment and problems with focus and attention. All-nighters, when a student stays up all night to finish an academic project or study for an exam, are particularly bad for brain function. Even short-term disruption of sleep has consequences, such as more trouble responding to stress, and decreased memory and mental performance. Sleep Needs of Older Adults (65 or More Years Old)Older adults need between seven and eight hours of sleep a night, which may be slightly less than they required when they were younger than 65 years old. Sleep patterns change as a person ages. Sleep changes that affect people over 65 may include:
Older adults commonly have trouble getting enough sleep. The wake-sleep cycle and mechanisms that help people stay awake during the day may become weaker in older adults. Sleep changes are observed in aging adults even if they don’t use medication or have medical problems that interfere with sleep. Both daytime sleepiness and daytime naps are more common in older adults. While research is ongoing into the relationship between napping and health in older people, shorter naps of approximately a half hour have been linked with better health. Understanding How Much Sleep You NeedGuidelines for sleep requirements serve as a general rule for sleep needs. However, the ideal amount of sleep can vary from person to person. While it is not the norm, some people may be short sleepers, needing less than six hour of sleep a night to feel rested. Other people may need more sleep than what is recommended for their age group. In addition to age, sleep requirements for an individual can depend on other factors.
How to Decide How Much Sleep You NeedBecause sleep requirements vary from person to person, figuring out how much sleep a particular individual needs can be tricky. In addition to watching for signs that they may be getting too much or not enough sleep, there are factors people can consider to determine how much sleep is needed for them to function at their best:
Signs You May Not Be Getting Enough SleepNot getting enough sleep can result in physical, mental, and mood alterations during the day. Certain symptoms may indicate a need for more sleep.
Signs You May Be Getting Too Much SleepMore than nine hours of sleep in a 24-hour period is considered to be excessive in adults. Getting too much sleep is less common than being sleep deprived. However, sleeping excessively can also cause negative effects.
Too much sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. However, experts may have trouble determining whether sleeping more is a cause or an effect of illness, since a number of medical issues can cause people to experience excessive sleepiness. Tips for Improving Your SleepGetting enough sleep can improve physical health, mental functioning, and mood. There are several factors that can help improve sleep.
Sleep Tips for Babies
Sleep Tips for Children
Sleep Tips for High School and College Students
Sleep Tips for Older Adults
Frequently Asked Questions About How Much Sleep We NeedWhy Do Some People Seem to Need Less Sleep Than Others?Research has suggested that inherited genes might enable some people to sleep six hours or less per night without showing signs of sleep deprivation. Although rare, some people can get by on less than six hours of sleep without symptoms like fatigue or daytime sleepiness. If I Don’t Get Enough Sleep During the Week, Can I Make Up for It by Sleeping Longer on the Weekends?Using the weekend to catch up on sleep has been found to reduce sleepiness. However, when sleep requirements aren’t met, sleep debt accumulates. If the sleep debt is too high, a weekend may not be long enough to undo the damage done by sleeping too little all week. Can My Fitbit Really Tell Me How Much Sleep I’m Getting?Wearable devices, like Fitbits, may overestimate sleep time and sleep efficiency when compared to the more sophisticated technologies available in a sleep lab. However, sleep measurements from a wrist band may be a good starting point for a discussion with a doctor about sleep. If a doctor suspects a sleep disorder, formal sleep testing using a sleep study may be ordered. Is 6 hours sleep enough?For most of us, six hours of sleep is not enough for one night. Scientific evidence indicates the average sleep need is around 8 hours and 40 minutes per night (plus or minus 10 minutes or so), with 13.5% of us requiring nine hours or more of sleep time.
Is getting 5 hours of sleep OK?Sometimes life calls and we don't get enough sleep. But five hours of sleep out of a 24-hour day isn't enough, especially in the long term. According to a 2018 study of more than 10,000 people, the body's ability to function declines if sleep isn't in the seven- to eight-hour range.
Is 7 hours sleep better than 8?Having trouble getting that ideal 8 hours of sleep? So is everyone else. But there's some good news — you may only need 7 hours of it. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the Sleep Research Society (SRS) have issued a new recommendation, saying seven is the magic sleep number for most healthy adults.
Is 1 hours Enough sleep?We never recommend sleeping for only one hour at night. Some research from the Whitehall II study suggests that lost sleep can shave years off your life and that you may not ever be able to catch up on the hours of rest you lose.
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