Off The Record
Here’s Exactly How Much Sleep You Need According To Your Age
Proper sleep is very essential for the metabolism of the body. Without adequate amount of sleep, the systematic functioning of the human body gets disrupted.
Our body requires proper amount of sleep according to its age. A good sound sleep is vital for our well being and daily functioning. Without it, our day to day activities will eventually come to a standstill.
Here is a detailed list of how much aggregate sleep is required by each age group and what are its benefits and disadvantages:
1. Newborns (0 to 3 months)
This is the very tender and primary age of any human life. A systematic following of schedule during this age can determine the functioning capability of our body in the coming ages. In the first week, newly born babies sleep for an average of 14-18 hours per day. This number reduces to 12-15 hours by the time they become one month old. However, not every baby is the same. Some get much less amount of sleep, they may be moody, may suffer or may not be able to sleep because of surrounding disturbances. These things heavily affect their sleep cycle and can later on give rise to several problems like frequent fatigue, tiredness, low concentration, depression etc.
2. Infants (4 to 11 months)
The range of sleeping hours expands from two hours to as much as 12-15 hours. Some may develop a habit of taking two or three naps everyday during daytime and then prefer to sleep at a stretch for 8 hours or more. Some take smaller naps throughout the day. If the baby sleeps without any break for 7-9 hours every night, know that his sleep cycle is perfect.
3. Toddlers (1-2 years)
At this age, sleep can go from 11 to 14 hours a night. Kids at this age will most likely still take definitely one nap a day, and some may even nap twice a day. But around the age of two years old, some toddlers might stop taking that afternoon nap that you have been use to until this time.
4. Preschoolers (3-5)
For a healthy lifestyle, every preschooler needs a maximum of 11-14 hours of sleep at a stretch for proper development of their mental and physical aspects. Kids in this age are usually learning new things and a proper sleep routine helps them grasp things faster. So let your child sleep adequately. The more you child sleeps, the more it becomes enthusiastic to learn.
5. Children who go to school (6 to 13 years)
These children should get 9-11 hours of proper, continuous sleep. This is the time when their mental abilities develop. If it is not allowed to grow properly, because the child looks tired all the time, it can develop severe problems later in life. Due to the differences in their personality, it may be hyperactive with difficulty to calm down, thereby postponing his bedtime schedule. This should be avoided as much as possible.
6. Teenagers (14 to 17 years)
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Teenagers usually have a shift in their sleep schedule. Due to studies and several other activities, sometimes they stay awake the entire night and sleep throughout the day. This again becomes a bad habit and disrupts their biological clock and a healthy lifestyle. This habit of an irregular sleep pattern should be changed at the earliest.
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7. Young adults (18 to 25 years old)
Majority of them manage to have a maximum of 6 hours of sleep everyday. This is destructive for the human body since it requires rest too. An average adult needs 8 hours of proper sleep. They also develop the habit of an irregular sleeping pattern which later on takes a toll on their health.
8. Adults (26 to 64 years old)
This is the time when everything in life should work according to a strict routine. Proper eating, sleeping, exercising etc. Sleep hours range from 7-9 hours. If the sleep is interrupted, the body isn’t getting quality of sleep which is highly required in this age given the daily pressure we handle in life.
9. Older adults (65+)
This is the age when we should take as much rest as possible, about 7-8 hours of sleep again. Some people, on turning old, have trouble sleeping. They should visit a doctor for assistance. The body at this age becomes slow and tired. To energize yourself, sleep is needed, which gives stamina to the body. Besides, we also shouldn’t pressurize ourselves too much with unnecessary tension.
We humans don’t get much sleep as compared to the toil and struggle our bodies go through everyday. Hence a good, tight sleep for the required number of hours can keep several diseases at bay and make us healthy and happy.
