Sleep is one of the most important processes of our body, which directly affects physical and mental health. Nevertheless, many people do not pay enough attention to the duration and quality of sleep, feeling more and more tired and deprived. But do you know how many hours of sleep you should be getting per night so that your body and mind can fully recover?
Everyone’s sleep needs can be slightly different, so it’s worth understanding why getting the right amount of rest is so important and how to ensure it. Read on to learn how to adapt your sleep habits and improve your quality of life.
How many hours should you sleep?
The need for hours of sleep varies according to age, and the most recent recommendations identify the optimal duration of sleep for different age groups.
Sleep recommendations were developed and published by the National Sleep Foundation based on a systematic review of existing research and consultation with physicians and other specialists in several fields.
Therefore, the recommended sleep duration for children was divided into six age categories:
- For newborns (from 0 to 3 months old), it is recommended to sleep from 14 to 17 hours
- Babies (from 4 to 11 months) should sleep for about 12-15 hours.
- Small children (from 1 to 2 years old) should sleep around 11-14 hours.
- For preschool children (from 3 to 5 years old) – from 10 to 13 hours a day.
- School-age children (from 6 to 13 years old) should sleep about 9-11 hours.
- Teenagers (14 to 17 years old) should sleep from 8 to 10 hours.
Introducing a new sleep guide for adults, which is divided into the following categories: young adults, adults and seniors:
- Young people (15-25 years old) should sleep 7-9 hours a day.
- Adults (26-64 years old) should sleep about 7-9 hours.
- People over 65 should sleep 7-8 hours.
It is very important to learn healthy habits that allow us to rest.
Here are some reasons why you should pay special attention to your sleep habits:
Depression – people suffering from depression either sleep a lot or struggle with insomnia.
Depression worsens due to too long or inadequate sleep.
Headaches – lack of sleep causes headaches and blocks the flow of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, the happy hormone, to the brain.
Diabetes – sleeping too long promotes the development of type 2 diabetes because it reduces the body’s ability to process glucose.
Back pain – sleeping too long equals lack of physical activity and inactivity, which causes back pain, joint pain and muscle stiffness.
Obesity – sleeping too long slows down the metabolism, so it is stored as fat instead of being used for energy.
Heart disease – several studies have shown that people who sleep about 11 hours a night have a higher risk of heart disease than those who sleep 8 hours.
Are you sleeping too long?
Just like short sleep, too long sleep is not good for our health, so you should give up this habit.
- Set a sleep schedule and stick to it that fits your lifestyle.
- If you feel tired even when the alarm goes off in the morning, take a cool shower to wake you up.
- If you have enough time, exercise. You will start the day actively, full of energy.
- Drink water to keep your body hydrated and drink a glass of lukewarm water as soon as you wake up.
