Lifestyle

How much sleep do we need? The right amount of sleep for every age


Get some decent shut-eye (Picture:Getty)

We might all aim for eight hours of sleep a night, but it’s not always possible.

We stay up late, wake up obscenely early, and attempt to catch up at the weekends.

Then we desperately try to justify this by endlessly searching ‘okay, but how much sleep do I really need?’ until we can pretend we’re not incredibly tired.

It’s time to get real. Yes, you probably do need more sleep than you’re currently getting. But yes, you can also likely get away with the occassional late night or super early start.

Here’s how much sleep that’s essential, for each age.

How much sleep do adults need?

‘Adults need about seven to nine hours of good quality sleep a night,’ says Tamara Willner of Second Nature.

‘A common myth is that we need less sleep the older we get, but sleep experts note that we need just as much sleep in our 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s as we do when we’re younger adults.’

As you age, you may end up getting less sleep or poorer quality sleep due to aches and pains, more bathroom trips, and so on. But you still need just as much quality sleep, so may need to make up for these disruptions with longer in bed.

Now, within that seven to nine hours, there’s a lot of variance between different people.

‘The precise amount of sleep that we each need varies as we’re all unique,’ says Tamara. ‘The amount one adult needs will be different from the amount another adult of the same age needs.

‘To figure out the right amount of sleep for you, try this exercise the next time you’re able to take an extended period of time off work, of two weeks at least (which is more challenging for those of us with children!).

‘Use the first week to unwind and the second week to sleep uninterrupted each night until you wake up. Taking an average of how many hours you sleep in that second week will give you a good idea of how much sleep is ideal for your body.’

You need different amounts of sleep at different ages (Picture: Getty)

How much sleep should teenagers get?

For teenagers, the average amount of good quality sleep goes up a notch. Blame all that vital brain development and emotional regulation.

Teenagers typically need between eight and ten hours of sleep a night.

So parents, don’t criticise their weekend lie-ins too harshly – they really do need that extra rest.

How much sleep does a child need?

The general consensus is that toddlers need around 12 hours of sleep a night, children aged between three and six need between 10 and 12 hours, and seven to 12 year olds need 10 to 11 hours.

Some children can function better on less sleep than others, but sticking to this range as a general guideline is a good plan.

How much sleep does a baby need?

Babies need quite a bit of sleep, shockingly enough.

The Sleep Foundation recommends that newborn babies up to three months old require between 14 and 17 hours of sleep a day.

From the age of four months to 11 months, that number drops a little, as they need 12 to 15 hours of sleep.

Then when you reach the toddler stage of one to two years old, your child will need 11 to 14 hours. That’s a lot of snoozing. If you’re a parent, try to take advantage and get some extra shut-eye when your baby is asleep.

Is there a sleep age calculator I can use?

There is indeed. Enter in your age and what time you need to wake up and Start Sleeping’s sleep calculator will tell you when you need to head to bed.

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