The amount of sleep a person needs depends on many factors, including age. For example, in general:
• Infants require about 16 hours a day.
• Teenagers need about 9 hours on average.•Most adults need 7 to 8 hours a night for the best amount of sleep, although some people may need as few as 5 hours or as many as 10 hours of sleep each day.
• Women in the first 3 months of pregnancy often need several more hours of sleep than usual.
SLEEP MEDICINE |Your Sleep Checklist
Need to get more sleep? Getting a good night’s sleep is good for your body and your mind. Use this checklist to feel rested.
- Try going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.
- Create a relaxing bedtime routine to get your body and mind ready to sleep.
- Make your bedroom dark, quiet, and comfortable.
- Skip caffeinated beverages within 6 to 8 hours of bedtime.
- Avoid eating big meals close to bedtime — especially spicy foods, which may cause heartburn.
- Exercise! Staying physically active will help you sleep — and feel — better.
- Can’t sleep? Read or listen to soft music. Skip the TV, tablet, or smartphone.
- Start a sleep diary to keep track of what affects your rest.
- Take the computer and TV out of your bedroom so they don’t distract you.
content provided via www.WebMD.com