According to the National Institutes of Health, the average adult sleeps less than seven hours a night. In today's hectic pace of life, six to seven hours of sleep can sound pretty good. However, Just because you "function" on seven hours of sleep doesn't mean you wouldn't feel much better and get more done if you spent an hour or two more in bed.
While sleep needs vary slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need seven and a half to nine hours of sleep per night to function at their best. Children and teens need even more (see data below). And despite the myth that older people need less sleep or that the need for sleep decreases with age, older people still need at least seven and a half to eight hours of sleep. However, older adults often have trouble sleeping at night and napping during the day can help fill the void.
Average sleep needs by age
* Newborns to 2 months of age: 12 a.m. to 18 p.m.
* 3 months to 1 year of age: 14:15 p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.
* 3 to 5 years old: 11 a.m. to 13 p.m.
* 5 to 12 years old: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
* 12 to 18 years old: 8,5 to 10 hrs
* Adults (18+): 7,5 to 9 hours