Rock-a-Bye Baby: Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

A new study has given a concrete idea of how much sleep we actually need, you know, just so you can stress about how much you're missing out on. 

Life is fast-paced these days, and we have no time  to be doing anything apart from eating, working and binge-watching our favourite stuff on Netflix. That leaves a small window in the day for us to get any sleep, which scientists tell us is very important. And sure we know that already! There's just not enough time in the day. 

A new study in Sleep Health, the official journal of the National Sleep Foundation of America, has reinforced all the research that has already been done about sleep being vital, but also gave a very clear idea of how much sleep we should all be getting every night. 

Dr. Lydia DonCarlos, one of the lead authors of the study, stated that the new figures were an update of the previous guidelines, and that the research underlined just how important sleep was to the human body: "We still have a great deal to learn about the function of sleep. We know it’s restorative and important for memory consolidation, but we don’t know the details of what the function of sleep is, even though it is how we spend one-third of our lives". 

• Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours each day
• Infants (4-11 months): 12-15 hours
• Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours 
• Preschoolers (3-5): 10-13 hours
• School age children (6-13): 9-11 hours
• Teenagers (14-17): 8-10 hours
• Younger adults (18-25): 7-9 hours
• Adults (26-64): 7-9 hours
• Older adults (65+): 7-8 hours

I try to get eight hours sleep and it never seems to be enough. But I won't get anything done if I try to get nine! Although maybe I'm overtired and actually only need seven? Oh the stress of thinking about it is making me tired...