How Much Sleep Do We Need

There are a number of factors that determine how much sleep we require, including our age and our overall health. It takes more than just sleep to be beneficial, it must be quality sleep. Even if you feel like you are sleeping long enough, you may not be getting the deep sleep required to maintain good health.

Newborn babies spend most of their time sleeping because they are the ones that need it most. Usually, they will sleep for about 4 hours before waking up for a feeding. Then they will sleep for a few more hours before they wake up again. A newborn baby will usually sleep 14 to 16 hours out of a 24 hour day.

Infants will usually begin sleeping through the night after they are between 3 and 6 months old. Even at this point, they will still spend between 10-14 hrs sleeping.

This same amount of sleep is actually recommended for children and teenagers as well. A good ten hours of sleep should be enough to allow them to function in all of their school activities and other things they are involved in. Most teenagers, however, do not get the required amount of sleep. This is why teenagers are often associated with being lazy. It's not that they are lazy, they just aren't getting enough rest. It is believed that they require more sleep due to all of the hormonal changes taking place in their bodies at this time.

Adults require less sleep than any other age group. Around 8 hours is the recommended sleep time for for adults. Sometimes people will sacrifice some of the sleep they get at night and make up for it with a short nap during the day. No matter how you do it, the key is to get between 8 and 8 ½ hours.

All adults require around the same amount of sleep, regardless of their age. Pregnant women, however, should get about three hours of sleep more than what they usually get.

If you wake up each morning feeling refreshed and energized, chances are you are getting enough sleep at night. You may not be getting enough sleep if you find that you are having trouble focusing, or if you begin to nod off during the day. Another indicator is if you find that it only takes a few minutes to fall into a deep sleep.

There are many dangers associated with not getting enough sleep. Your ability to drive is greatly decreased because your reflexes are much slower than usual. Also, your eyes may not open as quickly as they should when you blink. All of these factors can lead to you becoming involved in an accident. If you combine this with alcohol consumption, it will make matters that much worse. Other things that can be affected by sleep deprivation include judgment, hand-eye coordination, reaction times and attention spans. Hallucinations will also result from prolonged periods of sleep deprivation.

         

Intro to Sleeping Well

Circadian Rhythm and Sleep
Different Stages of Sleep Cycle
Melatonin and Sunlight