How much sleep do you need?
The day starts the right way after a good night's sleep. And there are some pretty good reasons to make sure you get a good night’s sleep.
Why is sleep important?
A good sleep can lift your concentration, mood, and could reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.^ There’s also the sobering fact that sleep deprivation was linked to more than 3,000 deaths in 2016–17, almost 400 of those from vehicle or industrial accidents, according to the Sleep Health Foundation.*
Poor sleep impacts your mental health and leads to worse decisions as the following image shows.
Source: healthiersleepmag.com
As we hit the snooze button for one more time this Sleep Awareness Week, we ask, how much sleep do we really need?
Science's answer to this comes from the Journal of the National Sleep Foundation sleep time recommendations out of the US.
|
Age |
Recommended |
May be Appropriate |
Not Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Newborns 0-3 months |
14 to 17 hours |
11 to 13 hours |
Less than 11 hours |
|
18 to 19 hours |
More than 19 hours |
||
|
Infants 4-11 months |
12 to 15 hours |
10 to 11 hours |
Less than 10 hours |
|
16 to 18 hours |
More than 18 hours |
||
|
Toddlers 1-2 years |
11 to 14 hours |
9 to 10 hours |
Less than 9 hours |
|
15 to 16 hours |
More than 16 hours |
||
|
Preschoolers 3-5 years |
10 to 13 hours |
8 to 9 hours |
Less than 8 hours |
|
14 hours |
More than 14 hours |
||
|
School-aged Children 6-13 years |
9 to 11 hours |
7 to 8 hours |
Less than 7 hours |
|
12 hours |
More than 12 hours |
||
|
Teenagers 14-17 years |
8 to 10 hours |
7 hours |
Less than 7 hours |
|
11 hours |
More than 11 hours |
||
|
Young Adults 18-25 years |
7 to 9 hours |
6 hours |
Less than 6 hours |
|
10 to 11 hours |
More than 11 hours |
||
|
Adults 26-64 years |
7 to 9 hours |
6 hours |
Less than 6 hours |
|
10 hours |
More than 10 hours |
||
|
Older Adults ≥ 65 years |
7 to 8 hours |
5-6 hours |
Less than 5 hours |
|
9 hours |
More than 9 hours |
Source: sleephealthjournal.org
That’s all you need to know. Get your recommended sleep and reap the benefits of a healthier life, fresher mental health, reduced stress and more motivation to exercise.
^ healthdirect.gov.au/sleep
* Sleep Health Foundation, Asleep on the Job, 2017