Healthy Sleep Recommended Duration for Adults
Research provides strong evidence that you may be harming your health by restricting your sleep. Getting less than 7 hours of sleep on a regular basis increases your risk of several adverse health outcomes. Health problems linked to insufficient sleep include:
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- weight gain and obesity
- diabetes
- high blood pressure
- heart disease
- stroke
- depression
- impaired immune system
Sleeping less than 7 hours per night also can impair your performance. You have an increased risk of errors and accidents when you don’t get enough sleep each night.
How Much Sleep Is Enough?
The amount of sleep you need each day will change over the course of your life. Although sleep needs vary from person to person, the chart below shows general recommendations for different age groups. This table reflects recent American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommendations that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has endorsed.
Age Recommended Amount of Sleep
Infants aged 4-12 months, 12-16 hours a day (including naps)
Children aged 1-2 years, 11-14 hours a day (including naps)
Children aged 3-5 years, 10-13 hours a day (including naps)
Children aged 6-12 years, 9-12 hours a day
Teens aged 13-18 years, 8-10 hours a day
Adults aged 18 years or older, 7–8 hours a day
Exactly how much sleep is right for adults?
It may be more than 7 hours. Some adults may need a longer sleep duration of more than 9 hours per night. Long sleepers may include young adults and those who have a chronic illness. A small percentage of adults are short sleepers who feel alert and refreshed after sleeping less than 6 hours per night. Genetic factors help determine how much sleep you need.
But 7 hours of sleep is the best starting point for adults. Make it one of your top health priorities to sleep at least 7 hours each night. Keep in mind that healthy sleep also requires good quality and regularity. There are many wearable sleep tracking devices on the market that can track your sleep quality, sleep length and regularity.
Although the amount of sleep you get each day is important, other aspects of your sleep also contribute to your health and well-being. Good sleep quality is also essential. Signs of poor sleep quality include not feeling rested even after getting enough sleep, repeatedly waking up during the night, and experiencing symptoms of sleep disorders (such as snoring or gasping for air). Improving sleep quality may be helped by better sleep habits or being diagnosed and treated for any sleep disorder you may have.
If you routinely lose sleep or choose to sleep less than needed, the sleep loss adds up. The total sleep lost is called your sleep debt. For example, if you lose 2 hours of sleep each night, you’ll have a sleep debt of 14 hours after a week.
Some people nap as a way to deal with sleepiness. Naps may provide a short-term boost in alertness and performance. However, napping doesn’t provide all of the other benefits of night-time sleep. Thus, you can’t really make up for lost sleep.
Some people sleep more on their days off than on work days. They also may go to bed later and get up later on days off.
Sleeping more on days off might be a sign that you aren’t getting enough sleep. Although extra sleep on days off might help you feel better, it can upset your body’s sleep–wake rhythm.
Bad sleep habits and long-term sleep loss will affect your health. If you’re worried about whether you’re getting enough sleep, try using a sleep diary for a couple of weeks.
Write down how much you sleep each night, how alert and rested you feel in the morning, and how sleepy you feel during the day. Show the results to your doctor and talk about how you can improve your sleep.
Sleeping when your body is ready to sleep also is very important. Sleep deficiency can affect people even when they sleep the total number of hours recommended for their age group.
For example, people whose sleep is out of sync with their body clocks (such as shift workers) or routinely interrupted (such as caregivers or emergency responders) might need to pay special attention to their sleep needs.
If your job or daily routine limits your ability to get enough sleep or sleep at the right times, talk with your doctor. You also should talk with your doctor if you sleep more than 8 hours a night, but don’t feel well rested. You may have a sleep disorder or other health problem.
Article Sources
BodyMind Essentials uses only trusted sources, including peer-reviewed medical journals, government organizations and academic institutions to support the facts within our articles.
Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, Alessi C, Bruni O, et al. The National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health. 2015;1(1):40–43.
Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D’Ambrosio C, Hall WA, Kotagal S, Lloyd RM, et al. Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: a consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. J Clin Sleep Med. 2016;12(6):785–786.
Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, et al. Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: a joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Sleep. 2015;38(6):843–844.
Related
Healthy Sleep Basics – 3 Keys to Healthy Sleep
Sources:
CDC.gov
sleepeducation.org
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute
Last Updated on February 22, 2021 by Heather Scott