You’ve heard it before: “Everyone needs 8 hours sleep per night.”
But is this true?
How much sleep do you really need?
The amount of sleep a person needs depends on many factors including age
In general:
- Infants (ages 0-3 months) require 14-17 hours a day.
- Infants (ages 4-11 months) require 12-15 hours a day
- Toddlers (ages 1-2 years) require about 11-14 hours a day.
- Pre-school children (ages 3-5) require 10-13 hours a day.
- School-age children (ages 6-13) require 9-11 hours a day.
- Teenagers (ages 14-17) need about 8-10 hours each day.
- Most adults need 7 to 9 hours a night for the best amount of sleep, although some people may need as few as 6 hours or as many as 10 hours of sleep each day.
- Older adults (ages 65 and older)need 7-8 hours of sleep each day.
However, experts say that if you feel drowsy during the day, even during boring activities, you haven't had enough sleep.
The infographic above shows how sleep quality, patterns, and duration may vary among countries, but one thing’s clear─people still aren’t getting enough sleep.
Why sleep is important
Roughly 62% of adults worldwide feel that they don’t sleep well when they go to bed.
Losing just one or two hours of sleep per night can have the same impact on motor and cognitive functions as going without sleep for a full day or two.
Experts have long emphasised that developing good sleeping habits can help to maintain our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
- Also read:Latest property price forecasts for 2025 revealed. What’s ahead in our housing markets in the next year or two?
- Also read:This week’s Australian Property Market Update – Latest Data, State by State November 12th 2024
- Also read:Everything you need to know about the state of Australia’s property markets in 20 charts – November 2024
- Also read:Melbourne property market forecast for 2025
- Also read:Sydney property market forecast for 2025
Ongoing sleep deprivation can also cause severe, long-term health conditions:
- Heart disease and heart failure
- Weak immune system
- High blood pressure
- Kidney disease
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Obesity
Drowsiness has been a significant factor in roughly 100,000 car accidents every year, causing an estimated 1,500 deaths.
Sleep deficiency has also been linked to a number of disasters, such as airplane and boat accidents, and even nuclear reactor meltdowns.
Developing good sleeping habits
Sleep is often the first to be neglected in our hectic schedules. Here are a few ways to practice better habits for a good night’s sleep.
Routine
Wake up and go to bed at the same time each day─even on weekends─to establish a more ingrained rhythm for your body clock and help your brain better prepare for sleep.
Exercise
Pick a time of day that suits your schedule and energy levels, and be sure to stick with it. Exercise helps to balance melatonin and cortisol levels throughout the day.
Light
Get outside often during the day and reduce the time spent outside at night. Limit screen time at least 30-60 minutes before sleep.
Food and Drink
Avoid eating large meals or drinking alcohol or caffeine in the last couple of hours before you go to sleep. Caffeine effects can linger for up to 8 hours, which breaks natural sleep rhythms.
Meditation
Recent studies have shown that mind-body treatments for insomnia such as yoga, tai chi, and meditation had positive impacts on improving sleep quality.
Comfort
Set the bed for success—keep your room cool and dark, buy a high-quality mattress and comfortable bed linens and use a white-noise machine to help you fall asleep.
Sleep is one of the most important aspects of our health; it’s also one of the easiest to neglect. Don’t put yourself into sleep debt─get enough shut-eye to enjoy those sweet dreams.
Source: Visual Capitalist
