Sleep

How Much Sleep Do You Really Need Each Night?

By Medically Reviewed by 
Reviewed:
Medically Reviewed
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Teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep, while adults should get 7 to 9 hours.Everyday Health
Sure, you’re eating your vegetables and fruits and squeezing in exercise at least 20 minutes a day, but are you getting enough sleep, too? The National Sleep Foundation's sleep recommendations may make you think twice about skimping on essential shut-eye.

Sleep is key to your physical health and emotional vitality, but just how many hours of sleep you need depends on your age and stage of development.

“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. “In fact, data shows that with sleep loss, there are changes in the way the body handles glucose, which could lead to a state of insulin resistance (prediabetes),” says Zee.

“There is also evidence that lack of sleep alters appetite regulation, which may lead to overeating or food choices that can also contribute to obesity or being overweight.”

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.

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) and a panel of 18 experts combed through more than 300 studies to identify the ideal amount of time a person needs to sleep per day according to their age. They made the following recommendations:

  • 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.

On the whole, women tend to need more sleep than men, and they are diagnosed with sleep disorders more often than men. For example, women are 40 percent more likely to have insomnia than men, and women are nearly twice as likely to grapple with anxiety and depression — conditions that are both tied to insomnia.

Bear in mind that women also encounter other gender-specific factors that tamper with their sleep, including hormonal changes related to menstruation and menopause, and pregnancy and postpartum health. These life stages can trigger sleep issues — including obstructive sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome — and medical problems like arthritis, back pain, and fibromyalgia.

Research suggests that during pregnancy, restless legs syndrome is one of the most common movement disorders diagnosed in the third trimester, with the symptoms tapering off after delivery. It causes an unpleasant sensation in your legs coupled with an uncontrollable urge to get up and move, with symptoms flaring up during bedtime.

On the other hand, men have higher rates of heart disease and chronic lung problems, which can affect their sleep, too. Statistics show that men are also more likely than women to drink excessively, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Bear in mind that alcohol affects the sleep cycle — while it may help to lull you into slumber, when your body starts to metabolize it, the sedative effect wears off. This, in turn, disrupts your sleep cycle and prevents deep sleep from occurring.

Snoring is another factor that may prevent you from getting the z's you need. It’s a sign your airflow is blocked or restricted; it may disrupt your breathing and stir you awake.

Nearly 90 million of us snore to some degree at night, according to the NSF, with men being more likely to snore than women.

Men often have air passages that are narrower than women's, which results in more night noise as the breath is forced through a smaller opening. (Snoring is a symptom of sleep apnea, a common but serious sleep disorder that can interfere with breathing during sleep. If you snore, it’s a good idea to ask your doctor if you should be screened.)
Both women and men can improve their nighttime rest quality by adopting a few sleep best practices. These include adhering to the same wake and sleep schedule every day, powering down electronics at least an hour before bed, and keeping the room you snooze in on the cool side (between 60 and 67 degrees is ideal, according to the NSF).

And do stick to a relaxing routine before bed, such as a warm bath, a light snack, or quiet reading before you snuggle in.
Not sure if you’re getting the right amount of sleep? Sleep is a topic you should discuss with your doctor — whether you’re getting enough of it or not (your doctor should be bringing it up, just as he or she should ask about exercise and eating 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 him or her get an accurate picture of what the sleep complaints are and figure out the best next steps to address them.

Additional reporting by Carmen Chai.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

  • Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, et al. National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep Time Duration Recommendations: Methodology and Results Summary. Sleep Health. January 14, 2015.
  • Rafalson L, Donahue RP, et al. Short Sleep Duration Is Associated With the Development of Impaired Fasting Glucose: The Western New York Health Study. Annals of Epidemiology. December 2010.
  • St-Onge MP, Roberts AL, et al. Short Sleep Duration Increases Energy Intakes but Does Not Change Energy Expenditure in Normal-Weight Individuals. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. June 29, 2011.
  • Glozier N, Grunstein R. Losing Sleep Over Work? Does It Matter? Sleep. September 1, 2009.
  • Do Women Sleep More Than Men? Sleep Foundation. January 22, 2021.
  • How Is Sleep Different for Men and Women? Sleep Foundation. November 13, 2020.
  • Darvishi N, Daneshkhah A, et al. The Prevalence of Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease (RLS/WED) in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy: A Systematic Review. BMC Neurology. April 13, 2020.
  • Excessive Alcohol Use Is a Risk to Men’s Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. October 23, 2020.
  • Why You Should Limit Alcohol Before Bed for Better Sleep. Cleveland Clinic. June 17, 2020.
  • Is Snoring Harmless? Sleep Foundation. November 13, 2020.
  • Snoring. Sleep.org. October 11, 2021.
  • What Is the Best Temperature for Sleep? Sleep.org. March 12, 2021.
  • When Should You Talk to Your Doctor About Your Sleep? Sleep Foundation. June 23, 2021.
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