How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?
Scientific research makes clear that sleep is essential at any age. Sleep powers the mind, restores the body, and fortifies virtually every system in the body. But how much sleep do we really need in order to get these benefits?
National Sleep Foundation guidelines1 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.
Best time to go to sleep
In general, the body and brain slow down as it gets dark and start to wake up as the sun rises.
There is some evidence to suggest that early bedtimes are better for people. One studyTrusted Source involving 1,197 Japanese workers found that those who went to bed later were more likely to have depressive symptoms. However, sleep duration may have contributed to these symptoms, as the participants who went to bed later often got less sleep.
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?
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.
The best time to go to sleep and wake up will vary from person to person. In general, though, people should aim to fall asleep a few hours after dark and wake up within the first hours of sunlight in the morning, where possible.
General guidelines indicate that the average adult needs about 7–9 hours of sleep each night. Going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day can help support a healthy sleep pattern.
Anyone who is concerned about their sleep patterns or feels as though they do not get enough rest may benefit from talking to a doctor, who can check for underlying sleep disorders.
Reference:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/best-time-to-sleep-and-wake-up#by-age