How Much Sleep You Need Depends on Several Things
....Healthline.
Every individual has unique needs and preferences, and the answer to how much sleep you need is no different.
Nevertheless, the amount of sleep you need per night is largely determined by your age.
Official recommendations for sleep duration are broken down by age group:
Older adults (65+): 7–8 hours
Adults (18–64 years): 7–9 hours
Teenagers (14–17 years): 8–10 hours
School children (6–13 years): 9–11 hours
Preschoolers (3–5 years): 10–13 hours
Toddlers (1–2 years): 11–14 hours
Infants (4–11 months): 12–15 hours
Newborns (0–3 months): 14–17 hours
However, some people might need more or less sleep than is generally recommended, depending on the following factors.
Genetic Makeup
Genetics is another determinant of how many hours of sleep you need per night.
Certain genetic mutations can affect how long you need to sleep, at what time of day you prefer to sleep and how you respond to sleep deprivation.
For example, those with one specific genetic mutation get by fine on around six hours, whereas people without it really need about eight hours, on average.
And people carrying certain other genetic mutations are more negatively affected by sleep deprivation or experience deeper sleep.
Unfortunately, your genetic makeup is not something you can change, and there's no practical way to know if you carry one of these mutations.
Therefore, it's important to simply pay attention to how you feel to determine if you're getting the right amount of sleep.
Sleep Quality
The quality of your sleep can also impact how much you need.
If your sleep quality is poor, you may find that you still feel tired after getting what should be considered enough.
Conversely, if you are getting good quality sleep, you may be able to manage better with a little less.
Many studies have found that short sleep duration, as well as poor sleep quality, are responsible for many negative sleep-related effects
Therefore, it's not only important to focus on sleeping long enough, but also on sleeping well enough.
Additionally, many common sleep disorders can have negative effects on your sleep quality, such as sleep apnea. If you regularly feel like you aren't sleeping well or are extremely tired and don't know why, it's a good idea to check in with your doctor.
SUMMARY:How much sleep you need depends on many different factors, including your age, genetics and how well you sleep at night. Nevertheless, 7–9 hours per night is ideal for most adults