The quantity of sleep we need

It’s a myth that everyone requires exactly eight hours of sleep a night—your sleep needs are personal and can depend on a variety of factors, in particular your age.

Aside from age, other biological factors may influence your sleep needs, such as your state of health and whether you are taking any medications. However, quantity is only half the story—external factors such as work, family life, and your lifestyle can also affect how well you sleep, so you may not feel fully rested and refreshed even when you do get your full “quota” of hours.

What’s the recommendation for my age?

Studies have shown that many of us get far less sleep than we need to function at our best, and in recent years, scientists have updated their recommendations to reflect these findings. In the US, for instance, the National Sleep Foundation issued new guidelines in 2015 for the amount of sleep different age groups require—with the suggested number of hours increasing in almost half of the age categories. The revised guidelines also saw the addition of two new age categories: younger adults and older adults. While much is known about the changes in sleep as we age, little is understood about the sleep needs of young adults. Early adulthood is an important developmental period, one marked by a transition into the workplace where alertness and productivity can become significantly impacted by sleep deprivation. Research to learn more about sleep needs for this age group is ongoing.

The right amount of sleep for you

As well as using your age as a guide to how much sleep you need, a sleep journal can help you determine if you are getting enough slumber. As a rule of thumb, if you are often drowsy during the day or find yourself reaching for a quick caffeine fix in the afternoon, you probably need more sleep. Once you understand your own needs, you can work on creating a routine to get the right amount of sleep for your individual circumstances.

Sleep needs by age group

The amount of nightly sleep we need changes as we age. Newborns require the most sleep, at around 17 hours, and older adults the least, but everyone needs at least 6 hours.

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0–3 months

Newborns’ sleep patterns are irregular, but they sleep for the majority of the day to allow for vital growth and development.

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4–11 months

Infants’ sleep patterns become more regular, but overall sleep needs remain high to allow for continued growth.

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1–2 years

Toddlers sleep slightly less than infants; mastery of new skills along with teething can mean they often fight sleep.

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3–5 years

Sleep needs drop by around an hour and napping comes to an end, but nighttime waking is still common.

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6–13 years

Sleep needs are still high, but school requirements and extracurricular activities mean bedtime becomes slightly later.

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14–17 years

A shift in the body clock means that teenagers need to sleep later but often are unable to do so due to school timetables.

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18–25 years

After puberty finishes, the body clock shifts back again. Young adults need slightly less sleep than teenagers.

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26–64 years

Sleep needs remain steady in working-age people, aiding alertness, daily routines, and productivity.

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65+

Hormonal changes and less need for growth and cell replenishment mean we need less sleep in old age, but napping returns.

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