It’s no secret that sleep has a major influence on well-being and health.
To determine the ideal length of a night’s sleep, experts have sifted through a series of studies on the effects of sleep on health. Their analysis has produced new guidelines for each age group. Here are the results!
How long is an ideal night?
Specialists set out to redefine the ideal length of sleep for each individual. Composed, among others, of Dr. DonCarlos (representing the American Association of Anatomists) and other experts selected by medical organizations and the National Sleep Foundation, the committee evaluated the results of 320 studies on the effects of sleep on health.
Published in Sleep Health, Journal of the National Sleep Foundation, the results have provided new guidelines for ideal sleep duration. The guidelines are based on age.
How much sleep do you need?
Here are the latest sleep recommendations from the National Sleep Foundation ‘s panel of experts:
From 0 to 3 months: the ideal sleeping time for newborns is 14-17 hours a day.
From 4 to 11 months: the ideal night-time period for infants is 12 to 15 hours a day.
From 1 to 2 years: the ideal night-time routine for toddlers is 11 to 14 hours a day.
Ages 3 to 5: the ideal night-time routine for preschoolers is 10 to 13 hours a day.
Ages 6 to 13: the ideal overnight stay for school-age children is 9 to 11 hours.
14 to 17 years: the ideal length of night for teenagers is 8 to 10 hours.
18 to 25 years: the ideal nighttime sleep time for young adults is 7 to 9 hours.
26 to 64 years: the ideal night’s sleep for adults is 7 to 9 hours.
65 years and over: the ideal night’s sleep for older adults is 7 to 8 hours.
So, according to these latest recommendations, are you getting enough sleep?