Everyone has unique needs and preferences, and individual sleep requirements are no different. However, the amount of sleep you need per night is mainly determined by your age.
Official recommendations for the length of a person’s sleep are broken down by age group:
Older adults (65+): 7–8 hours
Adults (18–64 years): 7–9 hours
Teenagers (14–17 years): 8–10 hours
School children (6–13 years): 9–11 hours
Preschoolers (3–5 years): 10–13 hours (including naps)
Toddlers (1–2 years): 11–14 hours (including naps)
Infants (4–12 months): 12–15 hours (including naps)
Newborns (0–3 months): 14–17 hours
However, some people might need more or less sleep than is generally recommended, depending on the following factors.
Genetic makeup
Your genetics are an important factor in how many hours of sleep you need per night.
For example, those with one specific genetic mutation (基因突变) need only around 6 hours, whereas people without it require about 8 hours, on average.
Sleep quality
The quality of your sleep can also affect how much you need.
If your sleep quality is poor, you may find that you still feel tired after getting what should be considered enough.
Therefore, it’s not only important to focus on sleeping long enough but also on sleeping well enough. If you often feel like you aren’t sleeping well or are extremely tired and don’t know why, it’s a good idea to check in with your healthcare provider.
【小题1】What is the main reason for the amount of sleep we need per night?| A．Sleep quality. | B．Genetics. | C．Our age. | D．Our eating habits. |
| A．All the school children need to sleep for 9 to 11 hours. |
| B．If you feel tired, please consult your healthcare provider. |
| C．Those with genetic mutation only need to sleep around 6 hours. |
| D．Due to poor sleep quality, you feel tired though you’ve slept enough. |
| A．A travel brochure. | B．A health magazine. |
| C．A fashion website. | D．A sports newspaper. |
