We will tell you how age affects the number of hours of sleep and a few more facts that will really surprise you.

How many hours should you sleep

How would you answer this question? Most likely, you would say that you need to sleep 8 hours or even a little more. Practically, that`s correct, but not for everyone. It turns out that the required number of hours of sleep depends on the age factor. That is, at different ages, this number is different.

Charles Czeisler, a Harvard University professor, conducted an interesting experiment aimed at determining the necessary number of hours of sleep for each age group. He obtained the following results.

1. Newborns (0–3 months) need to sleep 14-17 hours.
2. Infants (4 months - 11 months) - 12–15 hours.
3. Children (1 year - 5 years) - 11–14 hours.
4. Preschool age and younger schoolchildren (6–13 years) - 9–11 hours.
5. Teenagers (14–17 years) - 8–10 hours.
6. Young people (18–25 years) - 7–9 hours.
7. Adults (26 years - 64 years) - 7–9 hours.
8. Elderly (over 65 years) - 7–8 hours.

However, there is no universal recipe for everyone. Just like with shoe size. It`s important to adapt an individual schedule and conduct a personal experiment. Sleep is a very interesting topic, and we are far from a complete understanding of how to sleep properly, how much to sleep, and how it affects our body. Therefore, scientists are constantly conducting sleep studies.

It can be safely said that lack of sleep very destructively affects health. It affects cognitive functions: reaction slows down, attention concentration decreases. Especially if the lack of sleep is chronic. But there is one interesting peculiarity: a person who has slept 4 hours can be just as attentive as one who has slept 7 hours.

But the problem is elsewhere. Every person, when performing a task, whether they are well-rested or not, occasionally loses concentration. Here are the traps. If a person is well-rested, they can quickly regain attention and focus on the task. But for the brain of a person who has slept 4 hours, this task is not easy.

Professor Clifford Saper from Harvard says: `The brain of a sleep-deprived person functions normally, but from time to time, something similar to a power outage happens to it.` During such disruptions, the area in the brain responsible for fear activates. Then it starts working as if the person is in danger. This manifests as muscle tension, sweaty palms, and an unstable emotional state.

The main problem is that such a person may not notice the decrease in productivity, creating a false sense of security. This can lead to serious consequences. That`s why you shouldn`t get behind the wheel if you haven`t slept enough.

There is also another opinion on this problem. For example, psychiatry professor Daniel Kripke, who has dedicated his research to sleep problems, talks about how excessive sleep is also very harmful to the body. He claims: `People who sleep 6.5 to 7.5 hours a day live longer. They are more productive and happier. But excessive sleep can even be harmful to health. You may feel much worse after sleeping 8.5 hours than if you had slept 5.`

Editorial advice

What to do? I repeat – everything is very individual. The only universal advice for everyone – you need to get enough sleep! All scientists` studies prove that an adult needs to sleep at least 7 to 9 hours a day. If slept less, the body starts to protest.

You can add a nap if there is an opportunity and necessity. Some scientists claim that 20 minutes of sleep in the middle of the day greatly increases efficiency and invigorates. The main thing is to find those tips that will suit you specifically.

But what sleep rules help you get enough rest? Share with us in the comments!