How Much Sleep Do You Need?

How long did you sleep last night? What about the night before? How many hours of sleep do i need? Just like eating, drinking, or breathing, sleep is an important part of life.

Tracking your sleep schedule may not be the top priority, but getting enough sleep is critical to your health in many ways. The quality of your sleep at night directly affects your physical and mental health, and how well you feel during the day.

Sleep is not just a moment when your body shuts down. While you rest, your brain is busy, monitoring the biological maintenance that keeps your body working at its best and preparing you for the day ahead. You may not realize it, but the amount of sleep you get can affect everything from your weight to your metabolism, brain function, and mood. How much deep sleep do you need changes throughout your life.

How Much Sleep Is Recommended for Each Age Group?

Have you wondered how much rem sleep do you need? Scientific research shows that sleep is essential at any age. Sleep powers the mind repairs the body and strengthens almost every system in the body. But how many hours of sleep do you need to reap these benefits? 

You might be wondering how much sleep do I need a day. As with many aspects of human biology, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to sleep. The amount of sleep a person needs depends on many factors, including age. Generally how much sleep do you need by age:

• Sleep helps you learn, grow and develop, and all these processes take time. Thus, babies need a lot of sleep. Babies 0-3 months need 14-17 hours a day, while babies 4-11 months need 12-15 hours a day.
• Toddlers aged 1-2 years need about 11-14 hours a day.
• Preschoolers 3-5 need 10-13 hours a day.
• School-age children (6-13 years) need 9-11 hours a day.
• Teens aged 14-17 need about 8-10 hours each day.
• The most frequently asked question is how much sleep do adults need. Most adults need 7 to 9 hours, but some people may need less than 6 or up to 10 hours of sleep each day.
• Older persons, contrary to popular belief, do not require as much sleep as middle-aged people. Older adults aged 65 and over need 7-8 hours of sleep each day.

According to this list, you can see how much sleep you need. Even in the same age group, everyone’s sleep needs are different. Some people may need at least 9 hours of sleep a day to feel well rested, while others in the same age group may find that 7 hours of sleep is what they need.

If you tend to feel exhausted and foggy during the day, notice an increase in anxiety or irritability, and perhaps even a pattern of overeating, you may be struggling with sleep disturbance. Missing the mark on the required minimum of sleep can quickly turn into sleep deprivation and cause numerous health and behavior changes. And experts say that if you’re sleepy during the day, even with boring activities, you’re not getting enough sleep.

While recognizing that the ideal amount of sleep can vary from person to person, it serves as a rule of thumb for how much sleep children and adults need.