The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) published new sleep recommendations Monday that break down the rule of thumb according to age.
The nonprofit dedicated to improving health and well-being through sleep education convened a panel of 18 multidisciplinary sleep experts to determine just how much is “enough” sleep for each age group.
They found that younger age groups—newborns, toddlers, and teens—need more hours of sleep than their elders.
Moreover, that “sufficient sleep duration requirements vary across the lifespan and from person to person.”
A summary of their findings broken down by age includes:
- Newborns (0-3 months ): Sleep range narrowed to 14-17 hours each day (previously it was 12-18)
- Infants (4-11 months): Sleep range widened two hours to 12-15 hours (previously it was 14-15)
- Toddlers (1-2 years): Sleep range widened by one hour to 11-14 hours (previously it was 12-14)
- Preschoolers (3-5): Sleep range widened by one hour to 10-13 hours (previously it was 11-13)
- School age children (6-13): Sleep range widened by one hour to 9-11 hours (previously it was 10-11)
- Teenagers (14-17): Sleep range widened by one hour to 8-10 hours (previously it was 8.5-9.5)
- Younger adults (18-25): Sleep range is 7-9 hours (new age category)
- Adults (26-64): Sleep range did not change and remains 7-9 hours
- Older adults (65+): Sleep range is 7-8 hours (new age category)
According to NSF, a poor night’s sleep can negatively impact your mood and energy levels. Poor sleeping patterns can also lead to an array of health issues such as insomnia and weight gain.
“Like good diet and exercise, sleep is a critical component to overall health,” reports NSF.
The panel of prominent scientists and researchers also offered a number of pointers for how to improve sleeping patterns.
Many may come across as common sense—such as getting regular exercise, watching our alcohol and caffeine intake, and turning off phones or tablets before bed. But when life gets in the way, these good habits are often disregarded.