How Much Sleep Do You Really Need? Let’s settle this debate once and for all: how much sleep do you really need? According to the National Sleep Foundation, a good night’s rest is essential for good health. Follow these recommendations to ensure that you’re getting enough sleep.
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65 years and older: The recommended range of sleep is from seven to eight hours per night, but some studies show that getting as little as five hours and as much as nine hours may be appropriate for some older adults.
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26 to 64 years old: Contrary to popular belief, adults don’t require less sleep than young adults. It’s pretty cut and dry: adults require between seven and nine hours of high-quality rest per night.
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18 to 25 years old: The recommended sleep range for young adults is between seven to nine hours per night, but there’s a caveat: unlike those 26 to 64 years old, it may be appropriate for some young adults to sleep for between 10 and 11 hours per night.
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14 to 17 years old: Naturally, teenagers and kids require more sleep than adults. Teenagers 14 to 17 should sleep between eight and 10 hours per night.
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6 to 13 years old: School-aged kids need more sleep still, with the National Sleep Foundation recommending between nine and 11 hours of sleep for those in this age range.
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3 to 5 years old: Preschool-aged kids should sleep for between 10 and 13 hours per night. With that being said, the occasional eight-hour or 14-hour night is okay.
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1 to 2 years old: No surprise here: toddlers and infants need the most sleep. Toddlers should get between 11 and 14 hours of quality rest per night.
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Infants and newborns: Infants from four to 11 months old should sleep for between 12 and 15 hours a night, while it’s recommended that newborn babies sleep for between 14 and 17 hours per day. Of course we all know that newborns will wake up several times a night to nurse, when they do sleep it is not uncommon for them to sleep 14-17 hours total per night.
