How Much Sleep Do You Really Need? A Guide by Age
Sleep experts recommend at least seven hours a night for adults, and much more for children and teenagers. Here are the recommended hours for every age, signs you aren’t getting enough, and habits that help.
Daily Life Buzz Editorial 5 min readExplainer
General information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, ask your doctor what is right for you.
In this article6 sections
Late-night work, a phone that’s always within reach, early school runs and long commutes: for many of us, sleep is the first thing we cut when the day gets full. Most people know they should sleep more. Fewer know how much is actually enough.
Sleep scientists have looked closely at this question, and their answer depends mainly on your age.
How much sleep adults need
In 2015, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society brought together experts to review the research. Their recommendation: adults should sleep seven or more hours a night on a regular basis for the best health.
Regularly sleeping less than that has been linked in research to weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, depression, weaker immunity and a higher risk of accidents and mistakes.
A few people seem to do well on slightly less, and some need more, especially when recovering from illness or after a period of poor sleep. But for most adults, seven hours is the minimum to aim for, not the ideal.
Recommended sleep by age
These are the ranges recommended by sleep experts for children (American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2016) and for adults (National Sleep Foundation, 2015). Hours for babies and young children include naps.
| Age | Recommended sleep in 24 hours |
|---|---|
| 4 to 12 months | 12 to 16 hours |
| 1 to 2 years | 11 to 14 hours |
| 3 to 5 years | 10 to 13 hours |
| 6 to 12 years | 9 to 12 hours |
| 13 to 18 years | 8 to 10 hours |
| 18 to 64 years | 7 to 9 hours |
| 65 years and over | 7 to 8 hours |
For most adults, seven hours is the minimum to aim for, not the ideal.
Why teenagers struggle
Around puberty, the body clock naturally shifts later, so many teenagers don’t feel sleepy until late at night. Combined with early school times, coaching classes and phones in the bedroom, this often leaves teenagers well short of the 8 to 10 hours they need.
Signs you aren’t getting enough
- You need an alarm to wake up every day and often press snooze.
- You feel sleepy during the day, especially after lunch or while sitting still.
- You depend on tea, coffee or energy drinks to get through the day.
- You sleep much longer on weekends or holidays to “catch up”.
- You find it harder to concentrate, remember things or stay patient.
- You fall asleep within a few minutes of lying down, almost every night.
Habits that help you sleep better
- Keep regular times. Go to bed and wake up at about the same time every day, including weekends. This helps set your body clock.
- Get morning daylight. Natural light early in the day helps your body know when it’s day and when it’s night.
- Make the bedroom dark, quiet and cool. Curtains, a fan and fewer gadgets make a difference.
- Put screens away before bed. Phones and laptops keep your mind busy, and late-night scrolling easily eats into sleep time. Try to stop half an hour to an hour before bed.
- Watch caffeine and late meals. Tea and coffee can affect sleep for hours, so avoid them in the late afternoon and evening. A heavy meal just before bed can also disturb sleep.
- Keep naps short. If you nap, keep it to about 20 to 30 minutes and avoid late-afternoon naps.
- Don’t lie awake for long. If you can’t sleep, get up, do something calm in dim light, and go back to bed when you feel sleepy.
When to see a doctor
Talk to a doctor if you often have trouble falling or staying asleep, feel very sleepy in the daytime despite enough time in bed, or if someone notices that you snore loudly, stop breathing or gasp during sleep. These can be signs of conditions such as insomnia or obstructive sleep apnoea, which can be treated.
Frequently asked questions
Can I catch up on sleep at the weekend?
Sleeping longer at the weekend can help you feel better, but it doesn’t fully undo the effects of short sleep during the week, and a big weekend lie-in can upset your body clock. Regular sleep every night is better.
Is it bad to sleep more than nine hours?
Some people, such as teenagers, people who are ill and those recovering from lost sleep, may need more than nine hours. But if you regularly sleep for very long and still feel tired, it’s worth speaking to a doctor.
Does the time I go to bed matter, or only the total hours?
Both matter. Getting enough hours is the most important thing, but keeping a regular schedule that fits your body clock usually gives better-quality sleep.
Sources
- Watson, N. F., Badr, M. S., Belenky, G. et al. (2015). Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: a joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Sleep, 38(6), 843–844.
- Paruthi, S., Brooks, L. J., D’Ambrosio, C. et al. (2016). Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: a consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. *Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine*, 12(6), 785–786.
- Hirshkowitz, M., Whiton, K., Albert, S. M. et al. (2015). National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health, 1(1), 40–43.
- NHS: Sleep and tiredness
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