“Sleep is important for mental function: alertness, memory consolidation, mood regulation, and physical health,” says Phyllis C. Zee, MD, PhD, a professor of neurology and the director of the sleep disorders center at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
Too few hours of sleep or poor sleep can pave the way to myriad emotional and physical problems, from diabetes to obesity, explains Dr. Zee.
Your Sleep Needs Will Change Over the Years
How much sleep you need to stay healthy, alert, and active depends on your age and varies from person to person. Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep each night.
- Newborns (0 to 3 months): 14 to 17 hours of sleep
- Infants (4 to 11 months): 12 to 15 hours of sleep
- Toddlers (1 to 2 years): 11 to 14 hours of sleep
- Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): 10 to 13 hours of sleep
- School-age children (6 to 13 years): 9 to 11 hours of sleep
- Teenagers (14 to 17 years): 8 to 10 hours of sleep
- Young adults (18 to 25 years): 7 to 9 hours of sleep
- Adults (26 to 64 years): 7 to 9 hours of sleep
- Older adults (65 years or older): 7 to 8 hours of sleep
Gender Tends to Affect Our Sleep Patterns
Although there’s no difference in the sleep recommendations for men and women, gender can indeed affect sleep needs and patterns.
If you’re having trouble sleeping, keep a sleep diary for about a week so you can share those details with your doctor. It will help them get an accurate picture of what your sleep complaints are and figure out the best next steps to address them.
Additional reporting by Carmen Chai.
Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking
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