Less sleep and more sleep than the advised time span is harmful. While some might brag about how they require only four hours of sleep and some might feel that even after sleeping for eight hours they don’t feel energized. A scientific study shows that excessive sleep and lack of sleep, both causes many changes in body. Moreover, it has been linked with increased risk for serious health issues like obesity, and even death in some cases. How many hours of sleep you need?
Sound sleep is as crucial as proper diet. It is vital to good health and exercise.
How many hours of sleep you need depends on several factors
As every individual is unique and different, so are the needs and preferences. The basic factor of acquiring sleep is age.
- Newborn (0-3months): 16-18 hours
- Infants (4-11 months): 13-16 hours
- Toddlers (1-2 years): 12-15 hours
- Preschoolers (3-5 years): 11-13 hours
- School Children (6-13 years): 10-12 hours
- Teenagers (14-17 years): 9-11 hours
- Adults (18-60 years): 7-8 hours
- Older adults (60+ years): 6-8 hours
While age is just a basic factor for determining the amount of sleep one needs. There are other factors listed below
1. Sleep quality
The quality of sleep can determine how much you need. If the sleep quality is bad, you might wake up feeling lethargic even after getting a considerable amount of sleep. Similarly, if you are getting good quality sleep then you’ll wake up fresh. Sleeping long enough and sleeping well is crucial.
2. Genetic
Genetic makeup is something you can’t change. There is no way to know if you carry these mutations. Genetic mutations can determine how long you need to sleep and at what time you prefer to sleep.
Sound sleep is important as it energizes the body. How many hours of sleep you need can be determined by your sleep cycle if you pay a close look.