How Much Sleep Do We Need

Adults

Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep. Just 2 bad nights of sleep a week can increase an adult's heart rate, blood pressure, and inflammation in the body. It can also increase appetite. According to some estimates, 90% of adults with insomnia also have another health condition.

Sleep disorders and chronic sleep loss can put you at risk for:

• Heart disease
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Irregular heartbeat
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Diabetes

Is your child cranky thoughout the day? Are they having trouble waking up in the mornings or trouble falling asleep? If the answer is yes, they may need more sleep.  How much sleep a child needs depends on the age of the child. A newborn needs more sleep than a schoolaged child.

Newborns - Newborns need about 12-18 hours of sleep. Newborns should be awaken every 3-5 hours until their weight gain is established, which usually happens within the first couple weeks. After that, an infant may sleep 4-5 hours at a time. After about 4-5 hours they wake because they are hungry. 

Infants  - Infants need about 14-15 hours of sleep, including naps. Human growth hormone, which spurs body and brain development, is secreted during certain stages of sleep, so growth can be stunted in babies that don't get enough sleep.

Toddlers  - Toddlers need about 10-14 hours of sleep, including naps. From ages 1-3, most toddlers sleep about 10-13 hours.

Preschoolers  - Preschoolers need about 10-12 hours of sleep, including naps. Lack of sleep in children under 5 has been linked to obesity later in life.

Schoolage Kids  - Schoolage children need about 10-11 hours of sleep. Inadequeate amounts of sleep for schoolaged children can lead to hyperactivity, learning problems, and behavioral problems in schoolage children.

Teens and preteens  - Teens and preteens need about 81/2-91/2 hours of sleep. Lack of sleep for teens can lead to depression, attention problems, inconsistent performance, delayed response time, poor grades and problems in school.

• Avoid caffeine throughout the day.
• Avoid exercise 4 hours before sleep.
• Don't eat a heavy meal before sleep.
• Avoid long afternoon naps.
• Sleep with the light and TV off. 
• Take a warm bath to relieve stress and calm you.
• Follow an evening routine by going to bed at the same time every night. Routines are good because they tell your body to it time to wind down and expect sleep soon. 
• Don't smoke before bedtime. Nicotine is a stimulant.

Reduce your stress! One of the main causes of lack of sleep is stress, which can be caused by work family, financial matters and personal issues. Make a commitment to yourself to clear your mind of all worries and stress at least 1 hours before going to sleep. If start to think about your stress once you go to bed, think about something else to take your mind off it. Think about happy things or try counting, starting at 100 and going backwards. You will probably fall asleep before you reach number 1.