How Many Hours of Sleep Do You Need?
Before discussing the number of hours of sleep you need, it’s worth noting that determining the required hours depends on several factors, most notably:
- **Age:** Children need more sleep than adults because their bodies are in a stage of growth and development. On the other hand, seniors aged 65 and older need fewer hours of sleep.
- **Activity level and health status:** Whether the person is productive or suffering from health problems.
- **Energy demands:** Whether the person engages in physically demanding daily activities that require a lot of energy to burn.
- **Need for alertness and concentration:** Whether the person performs tasks that require staying alert and focused for extended periods.
As for how many hours of sleep a person needs, it can be broken down as follows:
- Age 0 – 3 months: 14 – 17 hours.
- Age 4 – 11 months: 12 – 15 hours.
- Age 1 – 2 years: 11 – 14 hours.
- Age 3 – 5 years: 10 – 13 hours.
- Age 6 – 13 years: 9 – 11 hours.
- Age 14 – 17 years: 8 – 10 hours.
- Age 18 – 64 years: 7 – 9 hours.
- Age 65 years and older: 7 – 8 hours.
Tips to Help You Get the Sleep You Need
Here are some tips to help you get enough hours of sleep:
- Exercise regularly during the day, but avoid doing so right before bed as it can disrupt sleep.
- Get sunlight exposure to regulate your biological clock and help induce nighttime drowsiness.
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
- Practice meditation to bring a sense of relaxation and ease the psychological stress that may cause sleep disorders. We recommend downloading the Tawazon app to learn more about the different types of meditation and benefit from a variety of guided sessions and podcasts.
- Turn off screens (phones, computers) at least 30 minutes before bed, as the emitted light negatively affects sleep. Also, avoid using them while in bed.
- Avoid caffeine consumption in the evening hours as it can make it difficult to fall asleep.
- Create a bedtime routine to signal to your brain that it’s time to sleep, such as taking a warm shower or reading a book.
