How much sleep do you actually need? - Harvard Health

health.harvard.edu · 1,114 words · saved by 1 readers

On average, how many hours do you sleep each night? For most healthy adults, guidelines suggest at least seven hours of slumber. But these are general recommendations and not strict rules. "Some people need less than seven hours, while others might need more," says Eric Zhou with the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. We get it: you know people who swear they only need five hours of sleep per night, yet you feel foggy unless you log in eight to nine hours. The major reason for individual differences is that we often look at sleep the wrong way. "Instead of focusing exclusively on the number of hours we sleep per night, we should also consider our sleep quality," says Zhou. Sleep quality means how well you sleep during the night. Did you sleep straight through? Or did you have periods where you woke up? If so, did it take you a long time to fall asleep? How did you feel when you woke up? "If you awaken refreshed and feel like you have the energy to get through your da

October 30, 2023 By Matthew Solan , Former Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD , Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing Share {} }" > Share this page to Facebook Share this page to X Share this page via Email { this.copied = true; setTimeout(() => this.copied = false, 1000); }); } }" > Copy this page to clipboard Print This Page Click to Print On average, how many hours do you sleep each night? For most healthy adults, guidelines suggest at least seven hours of slumber. But these are

How much sleep do you actually need? - Harvard Health

related reading