How Much Sleep Should You Be Getting?

Earlier this year, the National Sleep Foundation conducted a world-class study closely examining the recommended number of hours of sleep across individual age groups.

The study consisted of a panel of 18 health experts including six sleep experts and 12 representatives from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of Anatomists, American College of Chest Physicians, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Geriatrics Society, American Neurological Association, American Physiological Society, American Psychiatric Association, American Thoracic Society, Gerontological Society of America, Human Anatomy and Physiology Society, and Society for Research in Human Development.

Each of the panelists received electronic copies of 312 full-text articles regarding a suggested appropriate number of hours of sleep to read and examine. The panelists were instructed to grade the appropriateness of each suggested amount of sleep per age group listed below.

· Newborn: 0-3 months

· Infant: 4-11 months

· Toddler: 1-2 years

· Preschooler: 3-5 years

· School-age: 6-13 years

· Teenager: 14-17 years

· Young adult: 18-25 years

· Adult: 26-64 years

· Older adult: ≥65 years

After meeting four times over a nine-month period to participate in two rounds of voting, the panel of experts finally agreed on the following results:

· Newborns (0-3 months): 14 to 17 hours

· Infants (4-11 months): 12 to 15 hours

· Toddlers (1-2 years): 11 to 14 hours

· Preschoolers (3-5 years): 10 to 13 hours

· School-age children (6-13 years): 9 to 11 hours

· Teenagers (14-17 years): 8 to 10 hours

· Young adults (18-25 years): 7 to 9 hours

· Adults (26-64 years): 7 to 9 hours

· Older adults (65 years and older): 7 to 8 hours

Getting the appropriate amount of sleep is critical to your overall health. Too little sleep can put you at risk for obesity and high blood pressure, and too much could lead to a premature death. Be sure that you make getting a full night’s sleep a priority by scheduling a bed time that’s right for you, turning off all blue light emitting phones and devices, skipping the sugar and opting for snacks high in protein and rich in healthy fats, and, of course, creating a calm, cool and dark bedroom environment.

If you're having trouble getting the prescribed amount of sleep, give the FusionSleep team a call at (678) 990-3962, and we'll figure out how to get you get better, more restful sleep.