How Long a Person Should Sleep (And Why)?

How Long a Person Should Sleep (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 7 to 9 Hours

Healthy sleep is associated with a healthy attitude. People who sleep properly tend to have a positive attitude towards life. Sound sleep makes waking up so energizing that any individual could refreshingly do their daily tasks.

Skipping sleep or not having enough sleep could drastically affect anybody’s life. It results in poor performance and a fatiguing day. Sleep is important to human beings in their everyday life to enhance their daily experience. This can even lead to death.

How Long a Person Should Sleep

How Long a Person Should Sleep?

Age GroupAmount of Sleep Needed
Newborns14 – 17 hours a day
12 MonthsAlmost 10 hours at night with the addition of 4-hour naps
2 YearsAlmost 11 – 12 hours at night with an addition of 1 – 2 hours of afternoon nap
3 to 5 Years10 – 13 hours
6 to 13 Years9 – 11 hours
14 to 17 Years8 – 10 hours
Adults7 to 9 hours

The amount of sleep required varies from different age groups to different individuals. Some people only need a few hours of sleep whereas some others need an extended period of sleep. Since sleep is a basic human need, an individual should sleep at least a few hours every day for the human body to function seamlessly

Age is not the only factor that needs to be considered for a good sleep. Many other features should also be considered example:

Pregnancy

Pregnant ladies need more sleep as compared to regular ladies. This is because the bodily changes that happen in their body demand extra hours of sleep

Aging

Old people tend to have more nap times. This is because their bodily functions are slow as compared to young adults. Hence, they require more short naps to make up lost energy.

Sleep Deprivation

An individual who has lost sleep because of his tiring work or any other factors, requires more than their regular hours of sleep. This is to ensure they have a good sleep to wake up rejuvenated.

Quality of Sleep

The quality of sleep is as important as the quantity of sleep. An individual who has irregular sleep with irregular patterns tends to have a rough day. Every individual should sleep comfortably in a suitable environment to get a perfect sleep.

Why Does a Person Need Long Sleep?

Sleep is the one need of human beings that can’t be substituted for anything else.
Not sleeping can lead to;

Death

Many people who do not sleep properly tend to die mostly because of cardiovascular disease.

Accidents

Lack of sleep is directly associated with accidents. Researches have proved that lack of sleep is as dangerous as drunken driving. Also, lack of sleep could bring accidents in job places, educational places, etc.

Health Issue

Lack of sleep leads to numerous health issues like; Diabetes, Stroke, Heart failure, Heart attack, etc.

Depression

It causes depression. This is common among teenagers whose lack of sleep leads to depression.

Memory Loss

Lack of sleep can drastically affect the learning process of human beings. This could affect the ways of learning and could even lead to more severe memory loss.

Skin Damage

Not sleeping enough could lead to swollen eye and sallow skin. Having an irregular sleep pattern permanently could result in having permanent dark circles around the eyes and having fine lines across the face which makes the person having that routine look a lot older. 

Obesity

Without a proper sleep schedule, a person tends to have the body produce more amounts of the hormone ghrelin, which causes the person to have increased hunger. This causes over consumption of food, which ultimately leads to obesity 

Lack of Sex Drive

Lack of sleep can lead to disinterest in sex. This is caused because of the increase in libido, which lowers the sex drive in men and women.  

Conclusion

Sleeping is an integral part of every organism except a few. As for human beings, we cannot function smoothly if we don’t have a good sound sleep. It helps the body to keep in check the 3 R’s; Repair, Restore and Rejuvenate.

The side effects of lack of sleep are much greater than that of its benefits. Hence an individual should have a long good sleep of at least a few hours for optimal performance. Any difficulties in sleeping are medically treatable. Any person having difficulty sleeping could consult their nearest doctor to have their sleep rectified.

References

  1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389945710003023
  2. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1962-02183-001

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17 Comments

  1. The article discusses the significance of sleep and the consequences of sleep deprivation in a well-structured and informative manner.

  2. It is amazing how important sleep is in our daily lives. The content gave a detailed explanation of the amount of sleep needed for different age groups. Although, it would have been better if the writer would have mentioned some examples of the negative effects of not having enough sleep.

    1. I agree. It would have been beneficial if there was more information about the negative impacts of sleep deprivation.

  3. The article provides detailed and valuable information about the importance of sleep. However, it could also benefit from addressing the possible remedies for sleep difficulties and disorders.

  4. The article beautifully captures the importance of quality and quantity of sleep. The reference to the different factors affecting sleep was very informative. Overall, great content.

  5. This article does a great job in providing a comprehensive insight into sleep and the various aspects associated with it. The content could be more effective by providing scientific case studies or research data as references that support the facts presented in the article.

    1. Scientific data and case studies as reference would definitely have a positive impact on the quality of the content.

  6. The article effectively highlights the vital role of sleep and the potential risks associated with sleep deprivation. It’s important for readers to understand the seriousness of not having enough sleep.

  7. This article does an excellent job in providing both the amount of sleep needed for different age groups and the other factors that need to be considered.

  8. The content exceeds in delivering a comprehensive overview of the importance of sleep and its impact on health and daily life. Adding some comical elements would make the article even more captivating.

  9. This article provides insightful information about the impact of sleep on people of different age groups, although it lacks a humorous touch to make it more engaging.

  10. Sleep is an essential activity that contributes to a healthy lifestyle. This article does a great job in emphasizing the importance of proper sleep and its positive effects on our daily lives.

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