Sleep is essential for your health and wellbeing, but how much sleep do you really need? Eight hours is often mentioned as the ideal amount, but there isn’t one number that’s right for everyone.
Your sleep needs can change with age and may also vary from person to person. Understanding the general recommendations — and paying attention to how you feel during the day — can help you find a sleep routine that works for you.
How Many Hours of Sleep Do Adults Need?
For most adults, regularly getting at least seven hours of sleep is recommended. Some people naturally need more than this to feel rested and function at their best.
Sleep needs also change throughout life. Children and teenagers generally need considerably more sleep than adults, while older adults still need substantial sleep even though their sleep patterns may change.
Recommended Sleep by Age
| Age | Recommended Sleep |
| 4–12 months | 12–16 hours, including naps |
| 1–2 years | 11–14 hours, including naps |
| 3–5 years | 10–13 hours, including naps |
| 6–12 years | 9–12 hours |
| 13–17 years | 8–10 hours |
| 18–60 years | 7 or more hours |
| 61–64 years | 7–9 hours |
| 65 years and older | 7–8 hours |
These are general recommendations rather than exact targets for every individual. Your own sleep needs may vary, and sleep quality matters as well as the number of hours you spend asleep.
Is Eight Hours of Sleep Really Necessary?
Eight hours can be a useful reference point, but it isn’t a universal requirement. One person may feel well rested after seven and a half hours, while another may function better with eight and a half or nine.
Rather than focusing on exactly eight hours, consider whether you regularly get enough sleep to wake reasonably refreshed and stay alert throughout the day.
Can You Get Too Much Sleep?
Sleeping longer occasionally isn’t necessarily a problem. You might sleep more when recovering from sleep loss, illness, unusually demanding exercise or a stressful period.
However, regularly sleeping much longer than usual while still feeling tired can be worth discussing with a healthcare professional. Persistent tiredness may sometimes be related to poor sleep quality, a sleep disorder, medication or another health issue.
If you regularly get enough hours of sleep but still feel exhausted in the morning, explore 7 common reasons you may be waking up tired.
Sleep Quality Matters Too
The number of hours you sleep tells only part of the story. Seven or eight hours of frequently interrupted sleep may leave you feeling less rested than a similar amount of more continuous, good-quality sleep.
Noise, light, stress, caffeine, alcohol and an inconsistent sleep schedule can all affect how well you sleep. Improving these factors can sometimes be just as important as spending more time in bed.
For practical ways to improve your sleep routine, see our guide to 10 simple habits for better sleep.
How Can You Find Your Ideal Amount of Sleep?
Start by giving yourself enough time to sleep without regularly cutting your night short. Keep your bedtime and wake-up time reasonably consistent and notice how you feel over the following days.
Ask yourself a few simple questions: Do you wake feeling reasonably refreshed? Can you stay alert during the day? Do you regularly struggle to stay awake when sitting quietly? Do you depend heavily on caffeine just to get through the day?
A simple sleep diary can also help. Record when you go to bed, when you wake up and how rested you feel each morning. After a couple of weeks, you may begin to see a pattern.
When Should You Talk to a Doctor?
If you consistently allow enough time for sleep but remain very tired during the day, it may be worth discussing your sleep with a healthcare professional.
You should also seek medical advice if you experience symptoms such as loud habitual snoring, waking up gasping or choking, repeated breathing pauses noticed by someone else, or severe daytime sleepiness.
The Right Amount of Sleep Is Personal
Sleep recommendations provide a useful starting point, but they shouldn’t become a nightly score you have to achieve perfectly. What matters is getting enough good-quality sleep on a regular basis to support your health and daytime functioning.
Instead of chasing a perfect number, aim for a consistent routine, give yourself sufficient opportunity to sleep and pay attention to how you actually feel during the day.
Sources & Further Reading
American Academy of Sleep Medicine — Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations