Sleep is a biological need that helps us to survive and thrive. More specifically, sleep can affect numerous areas of our health and wellbeing, including physical and mental health, physical and cognitive performance, pain, injury, and quality of life.

Healthy sleep requires various components: sufficient quality and quantity, appropriate timing and regularity, and the absence of sleep disturbances or disorders.¹

In terms of quantity, how much sleep you need changes as you age.

To promote optimal health, it is currently recommended to sleep on a regular basis:

• Newborn (0‒3 months):             14‒17 hours per day²
• Infant (4‒12 months):                 12‒16 hours per 24 hours (including naps)³
• Toddler (1‒2 years):                    11‒14 hours per 24 hours (including naps)³
• Pre-schooler (3‒5 years):           10‒13 hours per 24 hours (including naps)³
• School-age child (6‒12 years):   9‒12 hours per 24 hours³
• Teenager (13‒18 years):             8‒10 hours per 24 hours³
• Adult (18‒60 years):                   ≥7 hours per day¹
• Adult (61‒64 years):                   7‒9 hours per day²
• Adult (≥65 years):                       7‒8 hours per day.²

These are general recommendations and how much sleep you need as an individual may differ.

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References:

1. Watson et al. (2015) (PMID: 26039963)
2. Hirshkowitz et al. (2015) (PMID: 29073412)
3. Paruthi et al. (2016) (PMID: 27250809)