While your significant other may wake up fresh and ready after just 6 hours of shut eye, you may need a full 9 hours to function properly for the rest of the day. When you’re trying to determine how much sleep you need, there’s plenty to consider; not least your age.
Ultimately, the amount of sleep you need boils down to your body’s specific requirements. It’s just about how you feel when the alarm goes off in the morning. However, for parents with young children or those trying to change their bedtime routine, it’s good to have an approximation of sleep hours to aim for.
Let’s explore how much sleep you need, according to age.
How much sleep do adults need?
Seeing as an ‘adult’ can refer to a wide range of age groups, it can be a little tricky finding the perfect amount of sleeping hours for everyone.
However, as a general rule of thumb, the older we get, the less sleep we need. For example, people over the age of 64 average 7-8 hours of sleep each night, while adults younger than 64 typically aim for 7-9 hours per night.
When considering how much sleep pregnant women need, it’s also recommended to sleep for 7-9 hours each night, although this can get more difficult as the pregnancy progresses. To maximise your chances of a sound night’s sleep, take a look at our article on the best sleeping positions when pregnant.
Regardless of how old you are or whether you’re pregnant or not, you need to know how to peacefully get to sleep, especially if you’re struggling. For example, factors such as finding the best sleeping position for you and establishing your bedroom as a sleeping space go a long way to helping you get as much sleep as you need.
It’s also important to ensure that you’ve got the right bed and mattress combo for your needs. Some may prefer a memory foam mattress for a firmer night’s sleep, while others may find comfort in the support granted by pocket sprung mattresses. The size of bed that can also make a world of difference, ranging from a cosy double bed to the stretch-out space of a super king bed.
How much sleep do young adults need?
Much like those aged 26-64, the recommended amount of sleep for a young adult is 7-9 hours a night.
However, teenagers typically need more time in bed - the extra hours of sleep supports brain development as well as physical growth spurts. Those aged 18 years and younger are recommended to sleep for 8-10 hours per night, which means an early bedtime is just as important for secondary school students as it is for primary schoolers.
As with anyone, choosing the right bed is essential to hitting those recommended hours. Most young adults can comfortably sleep in a single bed, but upgrading to a small double bed can help to maximise comfort and make getting a good night’s sleep easier.
There are also bedtime routine tweaks that go a long way to improving sleep quality, such as limiting screen time before bed. Granted, this might be difficult with teens and young adults alike!
How much sleep do children need?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, children need the most sleep of all. School-age children, which typically includes 6 to 13 year olds, are recommended a whopping 9-11 hours of sleep a night.
Preschool children (aged 3-5) need even more sleep, requiring 10-13 hours. This means your little one needs to sleep for almost half of the day, making regular naptimes essential.
The same goes for toddlers, infants, and newborns, who require 11-14 hours, 12-15 hours, and 14-17 hours, respectively. After all, this extra sleep is what their bodies need to grow and develop in a healthy way.
Investing in a good kids’ bed is crucial for helping children get the hours sleep they need each night. Considering they spend much longer in bed than anyone else, it’s worth getting a good bed and mattress you can trust!
Now that you know how much sleep you need, you’ll want the best bed to help ease you into a peaceful night’s sleep. If it’s time for an upgrade, take a look at our range of stylish beds, or browse our selection of comfortable mattresses.
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