Would I feel better if I got some more sleep? Maybe – but that's not guaranteed. We know how much sleep the average person needs, but the amount varies widely. Let's start with the basics to better understand how many hours you need and when and how to get them.
This article is part of a special series exploring important questions about sleep. Click here for details.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, a typical adult needs between 7 and 9 hours Newborns sleep between 14 and 17 hours, but this gradually decreases throughout childhood. What teenagers need is 9 hours a night People over 65 tend to need about 7 to 8 hours. Sex can also be a factor. “There are some studies that show that women need about 20 minutes more on average than men.” Veena Kumari at Brunel University, London. And there is evidence that humans, like many animals, are also prone to: Sleep a little longer during the wintertoo.
Of course there are exceptions. A rare genetic trait called familial spontaneous short sleep causes people to habitually go to bed late and wake up early, growing up in as little as four to six hours. “We don't know how widespread this is,” he says liza ashbrook At the University of California, San Francisco, many genetic mutations is involved in the trait, but “it's in the minority.”
Most of us aren't so lucky, but the occasional disturbed or shortened night doesn't really matter. “We can more or less get through the night without sleep…
Source: www.newscientist.com
