How much sleep do adults need?

Most adults need 7 or more hours of sleep a night on a regular basis. That's the recommendation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the Sleep Research Society, and the CDC uses the same figure for adults up to age 60. The ranges shift a little for older adults, and individual needs vary.

What do the AASM and Sleep Research Society recommend?

In 2015 the AASM and the Sleep Research Society published a joint consensus statement on how much sleep adults need. A panel of 15 sleep experts reviewed 5,314 scientific articles on sleep duration and health, then went through several rounds of discussion and voting.

Their conclusion was that adults should sleep 7 or more hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health. The statement covers adults aged 18 to 60.

We rate the evidence as moderate rather than strong because most of the research linking sleep length to health is observational. It shows strong associations, but it's harder to prove that short sleep alone causes each outcome.

What does the CDC recommend by age?

The CDC gives these recommendations for adults:

• 18 to 60 years: 7 or more hours a day
• 61 to 64 years: 7 to 9 hours
• 65 years and older: 7 to 8 hours

The National Sleep Foundation's expert panel reached similar numbers in 2015. It recommended 7 to 9 hours for young adults and adults, and 7 to 8 hours for older adults. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute gives 7 to 8 hours a day for adults 18 and older.

The small differences between these ranges come from different panels and methods. They all agree that, for most adults, regularly getting less than 7 hours is too little.

How much sleep do children and teenagers need?

Children need a lot more than adults. The NHLBI chart, which reflects American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommendations endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, gives these daily amounts:

• Babies 4 to 12 months: 12 to 16 hours, including naps
• Children 1 to 2 years: 11 to 14 hours, including naps
• Children 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours, including naps
• Children 6 to 12 years: 9 to 12 hours
• Teens 13 to 18 years: 8 to 10 hours

The National Sleep Foundation panel gave similar figures, including 8 to 10 hours for teenagers. The NHLBI lists early school schedules among the reasons teens end up short on sleep.

What happens if you regularly sleep less than 7 hours?

The AASM and Sleep Research Society statement says regularly sleeping less than 7 hours a night is associated with weight gain and obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, depression and a higher risk of death.

It also links short sleep with weaker immune function, more pain, worse performance, more errors and a greater risk of accidents.

What is sleep debt?

The NHLBI uses the term sleep debt for the total sleep you lose when you regularly get less than you need. It adds up quickly. Its example is that losing 2 hours a night leaves you with a sleep debt of 14 hours after a week.

That's why one long lie-in doesn't fix a week of short nights. It's also why the NHLBI says that regularly sleeping much more on your days off than on workdays might be a sign you aren't getting enough sleep during the week.

Plenty of people fall short. In CDC survey data for 2024, 30.5% of US adults slept less than 7 hours on average in a 24-hour period. The figure was 27.2% for adults aged 18 to 34, rose to 34.5% for those aged 50 to 64, and was 27.2% again for those 65 and older.

Is it possible to sleep too much?

The consensus statement says sleeping more than 9 hours a night on a regular basis may be appropriate for young adults, people recovering from sleep debt and people who are ill. For everyone else, it says it's uncertain whether regularly sleeping more than 9 hours is linked to health risk.

The National Sleep Foundation panel noted that sleep outside the recommended range may be fine for some people, but that habitually sleeping far outside it can be a sign of a health problem. The AASM and Sleep Research Society say anyone worried they're sleeping too little or too much should talk to their healthcare provider.

Does sleep quality matter as much as hours?

Sleep quality matters as well as hours. The consensus statement says healthy sleep needs adequate duration, good quality, appropriate timing and regularity, and no sleep disturbances or disorders. Duration gets the most attention because it's the measure researchers have studied most.

The CDC describes quality sleep as uninterrupted and refreshing. It lists trouble falling asleep, waking repeatedly during the night and feeling tired even after enough sleep as signs of poor sleep quality. In its 2024 data, 18.1% of adults had trouble staying asleep most days or every day.

If you spend 8 hours in bed and still wake up tired, something may be breaking up your sleep. The NHLBI says to talk to your doctor if you sleep more than 8 hours a night but don't feel well rested, because you may have a sleep disorder or another health problem. Loud snoring with gasping or pauses in breathing can be a sign of sleep apnea, which we cover in snoring vs. sleep apnea. That's a reason to see a doctor.

How you breathe at night is worth a look too. If you wake with a dry mouth, or someone tells you that you sleep with your mouth open, our guide to why you breathe through your mouth at night explains the usual reasons. For people with a clear nose whose mouth simply falls open, mouth tape is a simple way to keep the lips closed and the breathing going through the nose. Start with our two-minute nose test and the guide to what mouth taping is.

If you want to try mouth tape and nasal strips together, our pick is the Titan Sleep System, which pairs TitanAir Nasal Strips with Titan Mouth Tape.

Who is most likely to be short on sleep?

The NHLBI says sleep deficiency affects people of all ages and backgrounds, but some groups are more likely to fall short. Its list includes people with limited time for sleep, such as caregivers and those working long hours or more than one job, and people whose schedules clash with their body clocks, such as shift workers, first responders and people who travel for work. It also includes people who take medicine to stay awake, misuse alcohol or drugs, or don't leave enough time for sleep, and people with untreated stress, anxiety or sleep disorders.

If your job or routine makes it hard to get enough sleep at the right times, the NHLBI suggests talking with your doctor.

Can you make up for lost sleep?

You can only partly make up for lost sleep. The NHLBI says napping doesn't provide all the other benefits of nighttime sleep, so you can't really make up for lost sleep. It adds that extra sleep on days off might help you feel better, but it can upset your body's sleep-wake rhythm.

How can you get closer to 7 hours?

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine's healthy sleep habits are a practical place to start. It suggests getting up at the same time every day, even on weekends, and setting a bedtime early enough to allow at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Its other suggestions include:

• Only going to bed when you feel sleepy.
• Getting up and doing something quiet, away from screens, if you haven't fallen asleep after 20 minutes.
• Keeping the bedroom quiet, relaxing and comfortably cool.
• Turning off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed and limiting bright light in the evening.
• Avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening, and large meals close to bedtime.

It adds that if your sleep problem persists, you should talk to your medical provider. Our sleep hygiene tips, the guide to caffeine and sleep and the best bedroom temperature for sleep cover the habits that most often get in the way.

Why does sleep need vary between people?

The AASM and Sleep Research Society note that individual sleep need is influenced by genetic, behavioral, medical and environmental factors. The 7-hour figure is a minimum for most healthy adults, not an exact target for everyone.

Read next

• Why do I wake up with a dry mouth?

* This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your health.