--- title: How much sleep do I really need?  description: What are recommended guidelines for how much sleep you should be getting, and how can you tell if you're not getting enough rest? image: https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/hubfs/Website_Redesign_Photos/JUDY_SESSION_1_JPG-40_long_website.jpg --- **[![ASMS_logo_shadow_round](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ASMS_logo_shadow_round.png?width=200&name=ASMS_logo_shadow_round.png "ASMS_logo_shadow_round")](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/)** **Advanced Sleep Medicine Services, Inc.** The Sleep Experts`®` (877) 775-3377 ## Sleep Better, Live Better Blog ### *We believe that education is the first step to finding better sleep. Our articles educate people on sleep news, sleep disorders, and sleep care to help them achieve better health and live better lives. * *Thanks for joining the conversation.* ## [How much sleep do I really need? ](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/how-much-sleep-do-i-really-need) Posted by [Julia Steele Rodriguez](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/author/julia-steele-rodriguez) Find me on: [Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/julia.steele818) [LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/in/juliasteele) [Twitter ](https://twitter.com/juliasteelerod) Sep 17, 2015 8:00:00 AM ![](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Website_Redesign_Photos/JUDY_SESSION_1_JPG-40_long_website.jpg?width=430&height=309&name=JUDY_SESSION_1_JPG-40_long_website.jpg) It's true that different people need different amounts of sleep. Some people can get by on 7 or even 6 hours per night; others need 9 or 10 to feel optimal. Sometimes, the one-size-fits-all guideline of 8 hours per night just isn't enough to help you determine if you're really as well-rested as you can be. So in this post, our goal is to lay down some rough guidelines for how much sleep is healthy, and how to tell that you need to be catching some more zzzs.  # Sleep Duration Guidelines One of the main questions that comes up when talking about sleep is "How much sleep do I really need per day?" Thankfully, the [National Sleep Foundation](http://sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need) has laid down detailed sleep duration guidelines for each age group. Here's the breakdown:  | **Age Group** | **Recommended Sleep Time** | **May be Appropriate** | | --- | --- | --- | | Newborns (0-3 months) | 14-17 hours | 11-19 hours | | Infants (4-11 months) | 12-15 hours | 10-18 hours | | Toddlers (1-2 years) | 11-14 hours | 9-16 hours | | Preschoolers (3-5 years) | 10-13 hours | 8-14 hours | | School-aged kids (6-13 years) | 9-11 hours | 7-12 hours | | Teenagers (14-17 years) | 8-10 hours | 7-11 hours | | Young adults (18-25 years) | 7-9 hours | 6-11 hours | | Adults (26-64 years) | 7-9 hours | 6-10 hours | | Older adults (65 years or greater) | 7-8 hours | 5-9 hours | ## When are strict guidelines not enough? Notice the range of times that might be appropriate for each age group. It's not enough to use an objective number to determine if you are getting the right amount of sleep. You need to assess your own energy level and your drowsiness on a daily basis. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to see if you're sleeping enough:  - Do I wake up naturally around the time my alarm clock goes off, or do I have to drag myself out of bed in the morning?  - Do I rely on caffeine or other stimulants to function?  - Are my sleep patterns erratic? For instance, do I muddle through on weekdays and catch up on weekends?  - Do I suffer from lack of concentration, interest, energy, or memory?  - Am I drowsy during the day? Do I tend to fall asleep in quiet situations or nod off while driving? ? - Do I fall asleep as soon as I get in bed?  - Do I have a high score on the [Epworth Sleepiness Scale](http://www.sleepdr.com/download-epworth-sleepiness-scale), a common questionnaire used to assess sleepiness?  If the answer to any of these is yes, you may need more sleep. Try to build more sleep into your schedule. **Trust us: your increased energy and productivity during the day will be worth it. ** If you already sleep an appropriate amount and you still exhibit these symptoms, you may have a [sleep disorder](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/sleep-disorders) and you should speak to your doctor.  [![Request sleep study](https://hubspot-no-cache-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/299691/3475ae5e-54f4-4d7d-917e-de48489f3a90.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/299691/3475ae5e-54f4-4d7d-917e-de48489f3a90) **How much sleep do you need to get per night? When you don't sleep enough, how does it affect your energy level and concentration? Let us know in the comments!** Topics: [Good Sleep Habits](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/good-sleep-habits) ## Share this blog post: [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2F299691.hs-sites-na2.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-much-sleep-do-i-really-need%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/linkedin-24x24.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2F299691.hs-sites-na2.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-much-sleep-do-i-really-need%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2F299691.hs-sites-na2.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-much-sleep-do-i-really-need%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2F299691.hs-sites-na2.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-much-sleep-do-i-really-need%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=How%20much%20sleep%20do%20I%20really%20need%3F%C2%A0) [![Share on Pinterest](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/pinterest-24x24.png)](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2F299691.hs-sites-na2.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-much-sleep-do-i-really-need%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dpinterest&media=) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2F299691.hs-sites-na2.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-much-sleep-do-i-really-need%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2F299691.hs-sites-na2.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-much-sleep-do-i-really-need%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ### Subscribe to Email Updates Search our blog Search ### Posts by Topic - [Children and Sleep (1)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/children-and-sleep) - [Coffee (1)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/coffee) - [CPAP Alternatives (2)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/cpap-alternatives) - [CPAP Supplies (9)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/cpap-supplies) - [CPAP Treatment (25)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/cpap-treatment) - [Diabetes (2)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/diabetes) - [Doctor's Opinion (4)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/doctors-opinion) - [Economics of Sleep Medicine (15)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/economics-of-sleep-medicine) - [Good Sleep Habits (59)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/good-sleep-habits) - [Health Insurance (20)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/health-insurance) - [Heart Disease (2)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/heart-disease) - [Insomnia (2)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/insomnia) - [Job-Related Sleep Disorders (7)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/job-related-sleep-disorders) - [Kids and Sleep (20)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/kids-and-sleep) - [Narcolepsy (1)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/narcolepsy) - [Preparing for your sleep study (2)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/preparing-for-your-sleep-study) - [Sex and Sleep (7)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/sex-and-sleep) - [Sleep and Exercise (1)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/sleep-and-exercise) - [Sleep and Society (41)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/sleep-and-society) - [Sleep Apnea (60)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/sleep-apnea) - [Sleep Business (3)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/sleep-business) - [Sleep Disorders (30)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/sleep-disorders) - [Sleep Studies (30)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/sleep-studies) - [Telemedicine (1)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/telemedicine) - [Treating Sleep Apnea (29)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/treating-sleep-apnea) - [Women and Sleep (14)](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/blog/topic/women-and-sleep) ### Most viewed posts ### Recent Posts **Contact Us:** Advanced Sleep Medicine Services, Inc. Corporate Office 17835 Ventura Blvd. Suite 300 Encino, CA 91316 Phone (877) 775-3377 Fax (877) 855-6227  [info@sleepdr.com](mailto:info@sleepdr.com) ## **Top Links:** [Frequently asked questions (FAQs) ](http://www.sleepdr.com/frequently-asked-questions)[Download Service Request Form (Rx) ](http://www.sleepdr.com/service_request_form)[Request medical records ](http://www.sleepdr.com/request-medical-records)[See a complete list of locations ](http://www.sleepdr.com/locations)[Schedule an appointment ](http://www.sleepdr.com/schedule)[Sleep Better, Live Better Blog ](http://www.sleepdr.com/sleepbetterblog)[Contact us](http://www.sleepdr.com/contact) **About Us:** Our mission is to empower sufferers of sleep disorders, like sleep apnea, to lead more fulfilling lives by improving their sleep. We believe that by caring for and educating our patients and diagnosing and treating their sleep disorders we can help them achieve better health. With 20 locations across California, we are the leading provider of in-center and in-home (HST) sleep studies, PAP therapeutic devices, and replacement PAP supplies. We are contracted with more than 300 medical groups and commercial health plans. We partner with independent physicians who are at the forefront of the field of sleep medicine and together we provide high-quality, affordable, result-oriented and patient-centric diagnostic and therapeutic sleep medicine services. We strive to make all our interactions with patients, referring physicians, coworkers, and others courteous, caring and professional and we consider each interaction with our patients as an opportunity to live up to our commitment to the highest standards of patient care.  ### Subscribe to our blog: [![Twitter link](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/hubfs/twitter-865437-edited.png "Twitter link")](https://twitter.com/mysleepdr)[![Facebook link](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/hubfs/facebook-square-750598-edited.png "Facebook link")](https://www.facebook.com/AdvancedSleepMedicine)[![LinkedIn link](https://299691.hs-sites-na2.com/hubfs/linkedin-815276-edited.png "LinkedIn link")](https://www.linkedin.com/company/advanced-sleep-medicine-services-inc) ## Original photos by Francisco Crow [www.fc-images.net](http://www.fc-images.net) All rights reserved. Our administrative offices AND sleep centers will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2016 in observance of the Labor Day holiday.