It’s important to get enough quality sleep. Experts typically recommend 7 to 9 hours of sleep each day. You can take these steps to optimize your sleep so it delivers exactly what you need.
Getting enough sleep is important to your overall health, but many people don’t get adequate sleep and experience sleep deprivation.
Prolonged sleep deprivation contributes to many negative long-term effects on overall health and well-being, from memory issues and mood changes to high blood pressure and a weakened immune system.
This article explains the stages of sleep and what you might consider when figuring out how much sleep you need to be your best self each day.
The
During that time, your body goes through
- drowsiness
- light sleep
- moderate to deep sleep
- deepest sleep
- dreaming, with alternating rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep
While those are distinct stages, they overlap and interact depending on where you are in your sleep cycle:
- The first two stages are the lightest sleep. They prepare your body for deeper sleep and rest by lowering your body’s temperature and decreasing brain wave activity.
- Stages 3 and 4 are deeper sleep when your body is working hard to repair and heal. Your brain releases important hormones to optimize all bodily functions.
- During stage 5, dreaming and REM take place.
Everyone is different in how much sleep they may need, so you can figure that out based on your own experiences and help from your healthcare team to determine what may be best for you.
However, experts agree that consistency and regular sleep schedules are important factors in determining our sleep quality.
One
According to researchers, extroverts and those with a lower tendency to experience distress and negative emotions had better overall sleep quality. Introverts and those who have difficulty managing self-discipline or organization had more sleep challenges.
Learning more about your patterns can also help you decipher why you might be having trouble opening your eyes in the morning or feeling that midday crash.
Here are a few easy ways to do just that.
Get to know your rhythm
Self-observation is the easiest way to listen to your body’s sleep rhythm. Keep a notebook near your bed and jot down answers to questions like:
- How are you feeling when you get under the covers? Wiped out or wide awake?
- How about your body? Are you sore and achy, or relaxed and loose?
- What time was your last meal?
- What time are you getting into bed?
Do the same when you wake up:
- What do you remember about your sleep quality?
- Did you fall asleep easily, or did you toss and turn?
- Was your mind racing?
- Did you wake up often?
- Did you dream? If you did, what type of dreams did you have?
- What woke you up? Did you feel groggy or refreshed?
Answering these questions consistently, at least several days a row, can give you more clarity in your sleep patterns.
Calculate your sleep
Determining how much you actually sleep each night and how much time you spend in each sleep stage can help you gain more insight into what happens when you shut your eyes.
Use this Healthline sleep calculator to help determine how much sleep you may need.
The important details to note when calculating your sleep include:
- your wake-up time
- whether you were able to complete five to six sleep cycles, or whether they were interrupted (each cycle takes about 90 minutes)
- the time you fall asleep, and how long that takes from the moment you get in bed
Completing five to six sleep cycles takes about 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep.
Sleeping less than that probably means you woke up in the middle of one of your cycles.
Many people underestimate the importance of sleep.
Here is what the
Sleep time | |
---|---|
Babies up to 12 months | 14 to 17 hours |
Children uo to 5 years | 10 to 14 hours |
Children up to 12 years | 9 to 11 hours |
Teens | 8 to 10 hours |
Adults | 7 to 9 hours |
65 and older | 7 to 8 hours |
These ranges follow the National Sleep Foundation recommendations during the last sleep guidelines update in 2015. These are broad guidelines. Everyone’s sleep needs vary based on health, lifestyle, and other factors.
Specific medical conditions may also affect your sleep duration and needs.
These can include:
- depression and anxiety, which can lead to sleep problems and increase the risk for mental health concerns even more
cardiovascular issuesTrusted Source , since sleeping helps the heart relax and protects arteries- chronic pain conditions can affect or worsen your sleep quality
Your healthcare team and sleep specialists can best guide you on any issues you have related to medical conditions and sleep, including consultation on any possible effects your medications could have on your sleeping habits.
Go to Healthline’s Sleep Health resource center to learn more about your sleeping patterns and ways you can help improve your resting routines.
The amount of sleep you need may vary, but for most adults, the ideal number is between 7 and 9 hours.
You can try different ways to determine how much sleep you actually need beyond health expert recommendations.
You can also consult your healthcare team and a sleep specialist to determine how much sleep you need or ways to improve your sleep quality, especially if you have any other medical conditions.