Most adults should aim to get 7 or more hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. Keep reading to learn about habits for getting good sleep and what to do if you find it hard to get enough.

The Centers for Disease Control and PreventionTrusted Source (CDC) recommends that you aim to get the amounts of sleep listed below:

13 to 17 years8 to 10 hours
18 to 60 years7 or more hours
61 to 64 years7 to 9 hours
65 years and older7 to 8 hours

Younger children have even greater sleep needs, but they do not have to get all of their sleep at once. Many children reach their sleep goals with the help of naps.

0 to 3 months14 to 17 hours
4 to 12 months12 to 16 hours
1 to 2 years11 to 14 hours
3 to 5 years10 to 13 hours
6 to 12 years9 to 12 hours

Ultimately, each person has unique sleep needs. Certain factors, such as genetics, may influenceTrusted Source your sleep quality and the duration of your sleep. The National Sleep Foundation has also published recommendations for sleep duration.

Further, people who get good quality sleep may need a little less sleep than people who frequently wake up or have trouble staying asleep.

Sleep hygiene is a set of habits that, when practiced, may improve your sleep. Here are some ways you can practice good sleep hygieneTrusted Source:

  • go to bed and get up at the same time every day
  • avoid large meals before bedtime
  • avoid drinking alcohol before bedtime
  • turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed
  • avoid drinking caffeine in the afternoon and evening
  • keep your bedroom quiet, relaxing, and at a cool temperature
  • exercise regularly
  • maintain a healthy diet

Good quality sleep is defined as 7 to 8 hoursTrusted Source of uninterrupted sleep. Obtaining under 5 hours or over 9 hours of sleep may increase your risk of developing an infection, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and hypertensionTrusted Source, but more research is needed.

The benefits of good quality sleep includeTrusted Source:

  • reducing stress and improving mood
  • improving attention and memory
  • getting sick less often
  • staying at a healthy weight
  • improving heart health and metabolism
  • decreasing the risk of motor vehicle accidents

Getting good quality sleep can also decrease your risk of chronic conditions, includingTrusted Source:

  • type 2 diabetes
  • heart disease
  • high blood pressure
  • stroke

Sleep deprivation has a cumulative effect on your healthTrusted Source. Ongoing sleep deficiency can raise your risk of developing chronic health conditions, such asTrusted Source:

  • heart disease
  • kidney disease
  • high blood pressure
  • obesity
  • depression

It can also cause a variety of issues, such asTrusted Source:

  • trouble focusing, learning, and reacting
  • difficulty judging emotions and reactions
  • feeling frustrated or cranky

If you experience insomnia, you may have difficulty falling or staying asleep. It can also cause you to wake up too early or prevent you from feeling refreshed after you sleep.

Types

Temporary insomnia can be caused by life eventsTrusted Source, including stress or pregnancy. Changes to your daily habits, such as starting a job with non-traditional work hours, can also lead to temporary insomniaTrusted Source.

Some possible causes of insomnia includeTrusted Source:

  • genetics and family history
  • age, with risk increasing with age
  • changing your sleep schedule frequently
  • experiencing interruptions to your sleep
  • taking long naps
  • insufficient exercise
  • using caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, or recreational drugs
  • using electronic devices too close to bedtime
  • menopause

Chronic insomnia occurs for 3 or more nights a week for at least 3 monthsTrusted Source. If you have chronic insomnia, you may consider looking into treatment.

Treatment

Common treatments for insomnia include:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). You’ll work with a therapist to treat underlying mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression.
  • Sleep hygiene training. A sleep expert will work with you to establish better sleep practices.
  • Treatment for underlying conditions. Your doctor will identify an issue that could be contributing to your sleep problem and seek to treat both conditions.
  • Medication. In the short term, some sleep medicines may help ease insomnia symptoms.

The primary goal of insomnia treatment is to help you get to sleep more easily. The secondary goal is to help treat any underlying cause or condition that’s keeping you from getting to sleep.

Sleeping pills

Sleeping pills are designed to help you fall asleep or stay asleep.

However, they can have serious consequences if used long-term, including a risk for dependence. It is important to talk to your doctor before starting any medication, even those that are over-the-counter.

Common OTC sleeping pills help regulate your sleep-wake cycle with low doses of antihistaminesTrusted Source.

Prescription sleeping pills may cause dependency issues. That’s why you should work closely with your doctor and use them only as long as needed.

These medicines includeTrusted Source:

  • Benzodiazepine receptors agonists, such as zolpidem, zaleplon,and eszopiclone
  • Melatonin receptor agonists, such as ramelteon
  • Orexin receptor antagonists, such as suvorexant, daridorexant, and lemborexant
  • Benzodiazepines, such as temazepam and triazolam
  • Antidepressants, such as low-dose doxepin

Natural sleep aids

Some people with sleep deprivation may want to steer clear of medicines and use alternative treatments to help get some shut-eye. These include:

Therapy

CBT is considered a first-line treatment for some sleep disturbances, including insomnia.

If you have trouble falling and staying asleep, talking with a therapist may help. The two of you will work together to identify and correct invasive thought patterns or ideas that could be preventing you from getting restful sleep.

Guided meditation

Meditation is the practice of focusing the mind on a thought or objective, such as reducing stress or relaxing.

People new to meditation may find that the practice helps them learn to relax and rest. As a result, sleep may become easier and more restful.

Guided meditations are typically performed by therapists or other practitioners trained in proper techniques. These instructions may be available on tapes or podcasts, apps, or videos. You can also take classes from instructors.

For some, sleep comes as naturally as blinking or breathing. For others, getting enough quality sleep is a major challenge that requires lifestyle changes or medical intervention.

There are numerous reasons for sleep problems, ranging from short-term stressors to serious, long-term sleep disorders. If you have chronic sleep problems, talk to your doctor about finding a solution.

Cracking The Sleep Code: Can Meditating Before Bed Reduce Insomnia?
In this episode of Cracking the Sleep Code, we uncover whether meditation can actually help improve sleep.
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Kimberly Holland is a health, lifestyle, and food writer and editor based in Birmingham, Alabama. In addition to Healthline, her work has appeared in Cooking Light/CookingLight.com, EatingWell.com, Health/Health.com, CoastalLiving.com, Sharecare, LifeScript, RealAge, RedShift/Autodesk, and other national and regional outlets. When not organizing her books and clothes by color, Holland enjoys toying with new kitchen gadgets, feeding her friends all her cooking experiments, and documenting it on Instagram.