How Many Hours of Sleep Do You Really Need? A Guide by Age
There is no single number that fits everyone, but sleep experts have published helpful ranges. The table below follows the widely cited recommendations from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. They include naps for young children.
Recommended sleep by age
- Babies 4 to 12 months: 12 to 16 hours a day, including naps.
- Toddlers 1 to 2 years: 11 to 14 hours.
- Children 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours.
- Children 6 to 12 years: 9 to 12 hours.
- Teenagers 13 to 18 years: 8 to 10 hours.
- Adults 18 to 60: 7 or more hours.
- Older adults: usually 7 to 9 hours, though patterns often change.
How to know if you are getting enough
Numbers are only a guide. Ask yourself whether you wake up fairly easily, feel alert during the day without heavy caffeine, and can concentrate. If you need an alarm and several snoozes, or you fall asleep within a few minutes of sitting down in the afternoon, you may be short of sleep.
Quality matters too
Eight hours in bed is not the same as eight hours of sleep. Frequent waking, loud snoring or restless legs can reduce the quality of your rest. A steady schedule, a cool dark bedroom and limited late caffeine and alcohol all support better quality.
Tips to get closer to your target
- Pick a fixed wake-up time and count backward to find your bedtime.
- Move bedtime earlier by 15 minutes every few days.
- Protect the hour before bed for calm activities.
- Avoid trying to repay a large sleep debt with a single very long sleep-in.
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. If sleep problems last for weeks, or you feel unusually sleepy during the day, talk with a doctor or a licensed sleep specialist.
