How Much Sleep I Actually Need?

You’ve probably heard that eight hours of sleep each night is the magic number. The truth is a bit more complicated than that.

Doctors actually make sleep recommendations based on a patient’s age. In other words, there’s not a blanket one-size-fits-all number like you may have been led to believe.

According to the latest research, there are nine categories of recommended sleep:

  • Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours of sleep each day
  • Infants (4-11 months): 12-15 hours of sleep each day
  • Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours of sleep each day
  • Preschool Children (3-5 years): 10-13 hours of sleep each day
  • School-aged Children (6-13 years): 9-11 hours of sleep each day
  • Teenagers (14-17 years): 8-10 hours of sleep each day
  • Young Adults (18-25 years): 7-9 hours of sleep each day
  • Adults (26-64 years): 7-9 hours of sleep each day
  • Adults (65+ years): 7-8 hours of sleep each day

Of course, there are a number of other factors that can impact the amount of sleep a doctor recommends for you. While most adults need seven hours of sleep each day, details regarding your environment, behavior, and genetics may affect this number.
 

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