Photo by Vladislav Muslakov

Originally Posted On: https://www.virtuclean.com/how-much-sleep-do-i-need/

Sleep is a vital part of living a healthy life – this is as clear as it possibly can be for all of us. But the question that still haunts us is how much of it do we actually need? We’re all familiar with the universal rule that everyone should get an 8-hour sleep, but this can’t apply to both children and adults.

Let’s first take a look at how much sleep do you need by age, as recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:

0 to 3 Months – 14 to 17 Hours

4 to 12 Months – 12 to 16 Hours per 24 Hours

1 to 2 Years – 11 to 14 Hours per 24 Hours

3 to 5 Years –  10 to 13 Hours per 24 Hours

6 to 12 Years – 9 to 11 Hours per 24 Hours

13 to 18 Years – 8 to 10 Hours per 24 Hours

18 to 25 Years – 7 to 9 Hours per Night

26 to 64 Years – 7 to 9 Hours per Night

65+ Years       – 7 to 8 Hours per Night

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, adults from all over the globe admit they generally don’t get the recommended hours of sleep. If you are one of them, there’s no need to worry because we will guide you step by step and you will learn how to help yourself and get the recommended amount of sleep every day.

Why We Sleep

Scientists have worked on finding the answer to this question for many years. However, they still don’t have a satisfying answer. The only thing we know for sure is that sleep is essential to our survival. There are a couple of theories as to why we need sleep:

• The Restorative Theory: Sleep helps us to “restore” what we have lost while we were awake. Sleep gives an opportunity for our bodies to repair themselves.
• The Brain Plasticity Theory: Sleep essentially helps our brains to reorganize themselves. That is why when we are sleep deprived, we are unable to learn and perform tasks.

Sleep Deprivation Side Effects

The persistent sleep loss has a massive negative effect on our health and well-being.

Impaired Memory

According to the 2019 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures Report, persistent sleeplessness can speed up cognitive aging and put people at risk for conditions such as dementia.

Increased Depression and Anxiety

The Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine explains that the problem of sleep disturbance has affected nearly a quarter of the world’s population. People who suffer from sleep problems are more likely to face mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, suicidal ideation, and especially depression.

Compromised Immune System

Sleep impacts heavily your immune system. Getting enough quality sleep and staying healthy go together. Without the recommended amount of rest, our bodies cannot fight off infections, inflammation, or stress. On average, adults need seven to nine hours of sleep to strengthen and maintain their immune systems.

7 Tips to Improve Your Sleep

Getting an appropriate amount of sleep based on your age helps to give your body the strength to go through every day and maintain good memory quality, mental health status and ability to fight off illnesses. In order to get the sleep your body desperately needs, here are a few tips:

• Create a strict bedtime routine, wake up and go to sleep every day at the same time.
• Limit the amount of blue light screen time two to three hours before you go to sleep.
• Don’t take late afternoon naps.
• Adjust your bedroom temperature, set your thermostat to around 70°F, it’s the optimal temperature for your body to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night.
• Make sure that your bedroom is free of noise and it’s completely dark.