Getting Enough Sleep

Just How Long Should You Sleep?

Getting a good night’s sleep is never a waste of time.

“Your future depends on your dreams, so go to SLEEP.”-Mesut Barazany

In a world where society conforms to a busy schedule for workers and other sectors, sleep became more of a luxury rather than a need for most of us. The CDC confirmed that 33% of Americans don’t get enough sleep. Moreover, the unemployed had a lower sleeping duration versus the employed, educated individuals. Furthermore, married couples also reported to have a better sleeping duration than single individuals. 

Sleeping is an essential need for a living organism to survive. It allows different biological maintenance to save energy, help the body recover, and to help process the environment as well. Sleep duration affects an individual’s mental and physical health. It targets productivity, immune system, vitality, and mood level. Studies show that minimal sleep loss (1 hour) causes a change in mood and energy level, concentration, and overall physical health. Thus, skipping sleep to do more work is a myth. In fact, by addressing the sleep deprivation, one can become more productive in his/her work.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, the number of hours a person should sleep is dependent on the age. As a rule of thumb, healthy adults will need 7-9hours of sleep while infants to kids need around 8 to 12 hours or more. 

How long should you sleep?

• 0-3 months: 14 – 17 hrs    
• 4-11 months: 12 – 15 hrs    
• 1-2 years old: 11 – 14 hrs   
• 3-5 years old: 10 – 13 hrs  
• 6-13 years old: 9 – 11 hrs 
• 14-17 years old: 8 – 10 hrs    
• 18-64 years old: 7 – 9 hrs  
• 65-above years old: 7 – 8 hrs  

FURTHER READING

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0215-enough-sleep.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6267703/

Sleep Needs