Most adults need at least 7 hours of sleep a night, children need more, and babies need the most. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 7 or more hours for adults aged 18 to 60, and the NHS gives a range of 7 to 9 hours for adults. The right amount for you sits somewhere inside those ranges.
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How Much Sleep Do You Need at Each Age?
The CDC recommends 14 to 17 hours a day for newborns, 9 to 12 hours for school-age children, 8 to 10 hours for teens and 7 or more hours for adults, so sleep needs fall steadily from birth to adulthood, then stay fairly level. This table shows the CDC’s recommended daily sleep for each age group. For babies and young children, the totals include naps.
| Age group | Age | Recommended sleep per day |
|---|---|---|
| — | — | — |
| Newborn | 0 to 3 months | 14 to 17 hours |
| Infant | 4 to 12 months | 12 to 16 hours, including naps |
| Toddler | 1 to 2 years | 11 to 14 hours, including naps |
| Preschool | 3 to 5 years | 10 to 13 hours, including naps |
| School age | 6 to 12 years | 9 to 12 hours |
| Teen | 13 to 17 years | 8 to 10 hours |
| Adult | 18 to 60 years | 7 or more hours |
| Adult | 61 to 64 years | 7 to 9 hours |
| Adult | 65 and older | 7 to 8 hours |
The NHS uses broader bands that say the same thing in fewer words: adults need 7 to 9 hours, children need 9 to 13 hours, and toddlers and babies need 12 to 17 hours.
Why Do Sleep Needs Change With Age?
Young bodies and brains are growing fast, which is why babies and children need so much more sleep than adults. The amount drops through childhood and settles at around 7 to 9 hours in adulthood.
Teenagers
Teenagers still need 8 to 10 hours, but many find they don’t feel sleepy until late at night. MedlinePlus, the health information service of the US National Library of Medicine, points out this later body clock in teens. Combined with early school starts, it is one reason many teenagers fall short.
Older adults
People over 65 still need about 7 to 8 hours. What tends to change is the quality: sleep can become lighter, with more waking in the night, and some older adults nap more during the day as a result.
How Do You Know if You’re Getting Enough Sleep?
The simplest sign is how you feel during the day. If you wake up reasonably refreshed and stay alert through the afternoon without leaning on caffeine, you are probably close to your need. Needing several alarms, nodding off in quiet moments, or sleeping far longer on days off all suggest you are running short during the week.
One practical check is a run of holiday or free days. When you go to bed at a normal time and wake without an alarm, the amount you settle at after the first few days is a fair guide to your own need.
How to Work Out Your Bedtime
Count back from the time you have to get up. Take your wake-up time, subtract the hours you need, and add a little time to fall asleep.
For example, if you need to be up at 6:30 and aim for 8 hours, you want to be asleep by 10:30. Allowing some time to drift off puts lights-out at around 10:15.
| Wake-up time | For 7 hours, asleep by | For 8 hours, asleep by | For 9 hours, asleep by |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | — |
| 6:00 | 11:00 pm | 10:00 pm | 9:00 pm |
| 6:30 | 11:30 pm | 10:30 pm | 9:30 pm |
| 7:00 | 12:00 am | 11:00 pm | 10:00 pm |
| 7:30 | 12:30 am | 11:30 pm | 10:30 pm |
Once you pick a bedtime, keep it steady. The CDC advises going to bed and waking up at the same times every day, weekends included.
Does Sleep Quality Matter as Much as Hours?
Yes. Broken, restless sleep can leave you tired even after a full night in bed, so the number on the clock is only part of the picture. The CDC lists sleep quality alongside sleep duration as part of healthy sleep. The CDC’s basic advice for better sleep covers the room and the hours before bed:
- Keep the bedroom dark, quiet and cool.
- Put screens away well before bed.
- Avoid large meals and alcohol in the hours before sleep.
- Have caffeine early in the day, not in the afternoon or evening.
- Stay physically active during the day.
Treat your wake-up time as the fixed point. A steady wake-up time, even after a late night, helps the body clock settle faster than lying in.
Can You Catch Up on Lost Sleep?
An occasional lie-in can help after a short night, but it doesn’t replace regular sleep. Sleeping much longer at weekends also shifts your body clock, which makes Sunday night and Monday morning harder. If you are short of sleep, going to bed a little earlier for a few nights is usually easier on the body clock than one long lie-in.
When Should You Talk to a Doctor About Sleep?
Talk to a doctor if you regularly have problems sleeping, which is the CDC’s own advice. The NHS suggests seeing a GP if changing your sleep habits hasn’t helped, if you have had trouble sleeping for months, or if poor sleep is making it hard to cope with daily life.
It is also worth getting checked if someone tells you that you snore loudly or seem to stop breathing in your sleep, or if you feel very sleepy during the day despite spending enough hours in bed. A doctor may suggest keeping a sleep diary for a couple of weeks, so it helps to start one before the appointment.