How many hours a day should you sleep to stay healthy?

Le hours of sonno The amount of sleep we need varies based on age, but also on some specific conditions. Some people have less need for sleep to recover than others. In general, experts divide sleepyheads into three groups. The normal ones, who are average, need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a night. “long” dormitories, for which up to ten hours of sleep may be necessary (this category includes in particular elderly people and children), and “short” dormitories For them, 5-6 hours a night are enough to feel rested and have recovered their energy after sleep. As for the younger age groups, those in whom "long" sleep is most necessary, we can distinguish between groups. Children up to 2 years old should sleep 12 to 15 hours a day.

Children aged 3 to 5 years may need between 10 and 13 hours of sleep per day. From 6 to 12 years old, the required sleep range is between 9 and 12 hours. Finally, with the arrival ofadolescence, around the age of 13 and up to the age of 18, children should sleep between 8 and 10 hours a day.

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Recommended sleep based on age group

Here you can find the recommended hours of sleep based on different age groups:

Babies (4-11 months): The recommended duration is 12-15 hours;
Kids (1-2 years): The recommended duration is decreased by one hour, to 11-14 hours;
Kids nursery school (3-5 years): 10-13 hours;
Kids school-age (6-13 years): 9-11 hours;
Teenagers (14-17 years): 8-10 hours;
Young adults (18-25 years): 7-9 hours;
Adults (26-64): the recommended duration does not change and remains 7-9 hours;
Over 65+: the recommended duration is 7-8 hours;

Why newborns need more sleep

Newborns need plenty of sleep because during this stage of life, the body secretes a significant amount of somatotropin (GH), the anabolic hormone essential for the baby's growth. Furthermore, a good night's sleep provides a newborn's brain, constantly engaged in mental development and learning, with the time to adequately recharge. After 9 months of age, newborns may experience sleep disturbances due to various factors: separation anxiety, excessive afternoon naps, excessive playtime stimulation before bedtime, and nightmares.

Co-sleeping therapy

Il Co-Sleeping It's when parent and child share the same room, or even the same bed. This can be helpful when the baby is very restless, and it certainly helps during breastfeeding. But it must have a set timeframe, not too far in the future, to prevent the baby's sleep from becoming dependent on closeness to the parents.

Why older people sleep more

The main reason why older people sleep more as they age is due to the deterioration and loss of muscle mass. This phenomenon, known in medicine as sarcopenia, affects the sleep-wake cycles of older adults and leads them to be more sleepy during the day and to increase their hours of sleep well beyond the night.

What happens when you sleep little?

The major risks associated with lack of sleep and insufficient sleep, regardless of age, are:

Impairment of cognitive functions: difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and slow decision-making.
Increased stress and anxiety: it can alter hormonal balance, promoting an increase in the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
Decreased immune defensesSleep deprivation increases susceptibility to disease.
Risk of cardiovascular disease: Several studies have shown that sleep deprivation increases the risk of hypertension, heart attack and stroke.
Altered metabolism and increased risk of obesity: Sleep deprivation is associated with increased hunger and less healthy food choices, leading to a greater risk of being overweight and diabetes.
Psychological problems: Insomnia can trigger or worsen psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety.

The need for sleep and the seasons

There's no scientific evidence that, as an old and unfounded belief claims, the need for sleep increases in winter. It's simply that during certain periods of the year, such as winter, sleeping conditions are better, and it's easier to increase sleep time compared to the annual average (according to statistics, it's 1,9 minutes per night during the week and 6,5 minutes on weekends). The reason for this difference is simple: the body's circadian rhythm is based on daily exposure to light. And in winter, when there's less light, the body is able to produce more energy. melatonin during the evening, and with this, the conditions for falling asleep and staying asleep improve.

How many hours a day should you sleep?