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How much sleep should an adult get each night?

Most adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, studies suggest.

Experts have created these recommendations using data from hundreds of high-quality research studies exploring sleep¡¯s impact on public health and health outcomes such as heart disease, pain and cancer.

But while this range offers a good starting point to help you figure out how much sleep you need, the exact amount of sleep an individual needs is just that: individual.

Additionally, it¡¯s not just sleep quantity that helps you feel rested. Sleep quality also matters. When your sleep cycles are disturbed, it can lead to poor quality sleep and cause you to wake up feeling less refreshed.

Do some people need more sleep than others? Why is this?

Yes, certain groups may need more sleep than others. Here, we¡¯ll unpack a few factors that impact sleep needs.

Age

Generally, the younger you are, the more sleep you need. Children and adolescents require more sleep than adults for their growth and development.

Here¡¯s how much sleep per day the recommends for different age groups.

• 4 months to 1 year: 12 to 16 hours
• 1 to 2 years: 11 to 14 hours
• 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours
• 6 to 12 years: 9 to 12 hours
• 13 to 18 years: 8 to 10 hours
• Adults: 7 to 9 hours

Starting around age 65, you may experience lighter, more fragmented sleep. Sleep needs for older adults generally decrease to between 7 and 8 hours a night.

Health

Medical conditions can impact your sleep in many ways. Here are a few examples:

• Alzheimer¡¯s disease can make it challenging to stay asleep.
• Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can cause respiratory changes that interrupt your sleep cycle.
• Cancer can cause sleep loss for many reasons, including anxiety, depression, treatment or medication side effects, or breathing problems.
• Some chronic illnesses and psychiatric disorders can lead to increased sleep needs or excessive sleepiness.
• During pregnancy and menopause, hormonal changes can disturb sleep.
• Men with enlarged prostates or people who take diuretic medications may wake up during the night to use the bathroom.
• Sleep disorders, such as insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea, can impact sleep quality and quantity.

If you are having sleep-related issues, talk to your doctor. Together, you can assess your sleep habits and sleep hygiene and discuss health issues that may be impacting your sleep.

Genetics

Did you know your genetics can also impact how much sleep you need?  There are genetically determined short and long sleep phenotypes. In other words, some people are just wired to need more sleep than others.

Lifestyle factors

Lifestyle factors ranging from your exercise habits to your work schedule can impact how much sleep you need. For example, certain factors may alter your circadian rhythm, causing you to get less sleep or wake up earlier. This could happen if you:

• Are less physically active
• Spend less time outdoors or with exposure to sunlight
• Work the night shift

Do the hours you sleep matter?

Yes. Our bodies have internal clocks, or circadian clocks, that determine how our cells work. This internal clock establishes rhythms that are in sync with cues from our environment like light and darkness.

Our circadian rhythms usually tell us to stay active during the daytime and to sleep at night. When we go against this rhythm ¡ª for example, staying up at night or working nights instead of days ¡ª our bodies become disorganized. This can lead to poor health.

Here are some sleep hygiene suggestions for shift workers.

• Minimize light exposure on your commute home.
• Keep your bedroom dark, quiet and cool. Bedroom too bright? Wear an eye mask or use blackout curtains. Too noisy? Wear earplugs or use a sound machine.
• Avoid screens and stimulating activities before bed.
• Try to maintain consistent bedtimes and wake times, even on days off. 
• Consider anchor sleep, a fixed core period of sleep at the same time each day, regardless of your work schedule.

What happens if you don¡¯t get enough sleep?

Scientific evidence shows that sleep is just as important as food and water.

When you do not get enough sleep or you get poor quality sleep, you face an increased risk for health problems such as heart disease and metabolic issues.

Sleep also helps with learning and forming long-term memories. A lack of sleep may decrease your ability to think clearly and focus on tasks.

Those are just a few of the reasons it¡¯s so important to prioritize getting enough sleep and getting good quality sleep.

Tamara De Lumban is an advanced practice registered nurse at MD Anderson¡¯s Sleep Center. , is a professor in Pulmonary Medicine.

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