For most of us, six hours of sleep isn't enough for a night. Despite these trends, most research agrees that six hours of sleep isn't enough for most adults. Experts recommend that most adults need at least seven hours of sleep each night. The vast majority of us need more than six hours of sleep to feel good and function at our best.
Scientific research shows that the magic number for most people is 7 to 8 hours. Although sleep needs vary slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a night to function at their best. Children and teens need even more. And despite the idea that our sleep needs decrease with age, most older people still need at least seven hours of sleep.
Because older adults often have trouble sleeping that long at night, daytime naps can help fill that gap. Developing a relaxing bedtime routine helps you rediscover your natural rhythm to fall asleep faster and get a good night's sleep. For most people, sleeping so little or having a very disturbed sleep can have very frightening consequences. Sleeping less can cause drowsiness, which can increase the risk of lack of sleep and sleep disorders, leading to falls and traffic accidents.
We examine the sleep needs of different age groups, discuss why it's important to get enough, high-quality sleep, and provide tips on how to sleep better if you're struggling to meet sleep recommendations. A restful night's sleep consists of several stages of sleep, through which the sleeper goes through several times. The best strategy is to maintain consistent sleep and wake schedules that allow for at least seven hours of sleep every night. By addressing any sleep problem and taking the time to get the sleep you need each night, your energy, efficiency, and overall health will increase.
For those who haven't had a consistent sleep schedule in the past, getting seven to nine hours of sleep may seem impossible. If you have a mattress that doesn't adequately support your spine, amplifies body heat, creaks every time you move and makes you feel like you're sinking in the center, you won't be able to sleep well. Sleeping much more on days off is a sign that a person may not get enough sleep during the work week. Keep reading to find out if you're getting enough sleep and how to prepare for better sleep if you need to.
Back in 1938, Nathaniel Kleitman, considered the discoverer of the REM phase of sleep and father of the science of sleep, spent 32 days locked in a dark and dark cave with one of his students studying how long they would naturally sleep without sunlight. Some people sleep eight or nine hours a night but don't feel well rested when they wake up because the quality of their sleep is poor. The quality of your nighttime sleep directly affects your mental and physical health and how good you feel during the day.
