How many hours of sleep do you need?

According to the National Institutes of Health, the average adult sleeps less than 7 hours per night. In today’s fast-paced society, 6 or 7 hours of sleep may sound pretty good. In reality, it’s a recipe for chronic sleep deprivation.

While sleep requirements vary slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need between 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep per night to function at their best. Children and teens need even more (see box at right). And despite the notion that our sleep needs decrease with age, older people still need at least 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep. Since older adults often have trouble sleeping this long at night, daytime naps can help fill in the gap.

Average Sleep needs Age Hours Newborns (0-2 months) 12 - 18 Infants (3 months to 1 year) 14 - 15 Toddlers (1 to 3 years) 12 - 14 Preschoolers (3 to 5 years) 11 - 13 School-aged children (5 to 12 years) 10 - 11 Teens and preteens (12 to 18 years) 8.5 - 10 Adults (18+) 7.5 - 9