What’s the magical number for the perfect amount of sleep?
Adulting is realizing that sleep is the best gift you can give yourself and that without it, you cannot function. Goodbye all-nighters. You were never fun.
Sleep is a necessity for your overall health. While you sleep at night, your body is working to reset for the next day.
During a full night's sleep, “The brain stores new information and gets rid of toxic waste. Nerve cells communicate and reorganize, which supports healthy brain function. The body repairs cells, restores energy, and releases molecules like hormones and proteins,” per Healthline.
So, how much sleep do you need at night for a full recovery? Depends on your age, but for many, the lucky number is seven.
The Sleep Foundation said that the hours of sleep required for each person changes as they age:
Infant (under 1): 12-16 hours (including naps).
Toddler (1-5): Between 10-14 hours (including naps).
Child (6-12): 9-12 hours.
Teenager (13-18): 8-10 hours.
Adult (18+): 7 or more hours.
Shelby Harris, a clinical psychologist at Sleepopolis, told Today.com that the hours of sleep required for adults can vary. “When we talk about ideal number of hours of sleep, it’s actually a range. ... Sleep duration is like shoe size. Everyone has varying sizes, but they range around the same area, with some outliers.”
Do women require more sleep?
Whether you agree with this statement or not, women tend to have more on their plate than men. Which means they are going to need some extra shuteye as well.
“Women’s brains are wired differently from men’s, and they are more complex,” said Nagamalar Raju, an internal medicine physician and sleep medicine specialist at Piedmont Healthcare.
Raju added, “Women are also multi-taskers, and they do a lot at once. Because they use more of their actual brain, they may need a little bit more sleep than men. It is still debatable, but some experts say that women need twenty more minutes on average than men usually need.”
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Sleep Advisor added that, unlike men, women go through many hormonal changes in their lives that can affect their sleep schedule, “Puberty, regular monthly differences in hormones all have a serious effect on women. This also includes pregnancy and menopause.”
Adding that “Physical discomfort and pain are another reason why female brains need more sleep. Aside from that, women are more prone to conditions such as anxiety and depression.”
How to sleep better
If you struggle to get a full night's sleep, you’re not alone. According to the National Institute of Health, “An estimated 50 to 70 million Americans have chronic, or ongoing, sleep disorders.” Adding that 40% of adults said that at least once a month they accidentally fall asleep during the day.
Sleep hygiene is a term often used to describe a person's sleep habits, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have some tips on how to improve your personal hygiene to feel well-rested.
Maintain a routine. Sleep and wake up at consistent times daily, even on weekends.
Create a peaceful sleep environment with dim lighting, no loud noises and a cozy temperature.
Keep electronic gadgets like TVs, computers and smartphones out of the bedroom.
Avoid eating big meals and drinking caffeine or alcohol before bed.
Engage in physical activity. Daytime exercise can aid in falling asleep faster at night.
“Getting inadequate sleep over time can raise your risk for chronic (long-term) health problems. It can also affect how well you think, react, work, learn, and get along with others,” per the National Institute of Health.
Individuals who consistently get an optimal amount of sleep at night have a notably reduced risk of premature death, the Deseret News previously reported.
