Sleep Calculator: How Much Sleep Do You Need? - Healthline

Sleep cycles 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rivationcanhaveshort-termandlong-termphysical,emotional,andcognitivehealthimpacts.PhysicalimpactsFormostpeople,anightofpoorsleepcanbringonnoticeablephysicaleffects,including:drowsinessheadachedarkcirclesundertheeyespaleskinLong-termsleepdeprivationcantakeamoreseveretollonyourphysicalhealth,leadingto:reducedimmunity,whichcanmakeitharderforyourbodytofightoffinfectionshighcortisol,whichcancontributetohighbloodpressureandotherhealthconcernsincreasedappetiteandcravingsforsugarandcarbschangesinweightsignsofaging,includingwrinkles,finelines,andlossofskinelasticitychronicinflammationEmotionalandmentalhealthimpactsWithoutadoubt,anightofbadsleepcanaffectyourmoodthenextday.Whenyoudon’tgetenoughsleep,you’remorelikelyto:feelcrankyandirritablenoticeabruptmoodchangesanddifficultymanagingemotionshavedifficultycopingwithstressResearchalsosuggeststhatsleepdeprivationcanworsenmentalhealthsymptoms,includingdepression,anxiety,paranoia,andhallucinations.Sleepdeprivationhasalsobeenlinkedtosymptomsofsomementalhealthconditions,including:depressionanxietydisordersbipolardisorderattentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder(ADHD)CognitiveimpactsWhenyoudon’tgetenoughsleep,yourbraincan’tworkasefficiently.Asaresult,you’lllikelyhavetroubleconcentratingandrememberingthingsafteranightofpoorsleep.Researchhasfoundevidencetosuggestthatsleepdeprivationnegativelyaffectsfunctionsassociatedwiththebrain’sfrontallobe,including:attentionalertnessdecisionmakingjudgmentmemoryresponseTheseeffectscanplayapartin:decliningperformanceatworkorschoolchangesinjudgmentandimpulsecontrolaccidentsWhatarethestagesofsleep?Whenyoufallasleep,yourbrainandbodygothroughseveralcyclesofsleep.Eachcycleincludesfourdistinctstages.Thefirstthreestagesarepartofnon-rapideyemovement(NREM)sleep.Thelaststageisrapideyemovement(REM)sleep.Thestagesusedtobeclassifiedasstages1,2,3,4,andREM.Now,expertsgenerallyclassifythemas:N1(formerlystage1).Thisfirststageofsleepmarkstheperiodbetweenbeingawakeandfallingasleep.N2(formerlystage2).Theonsetofsleepbeginsatthisstage,asyoubecomeunawareofyoursurroundings.Yourbodytemperaturedropsslightly,andyourbreathingandheartratebecomeregular.N3(formerlystages3and4).Duringthisdeepestandmostrestorativesleepstage,breathingslows,bloodpressuredrops,musclesrelax,hormonesarereleased,healingoccurs,andyourbodybecomesre-energized.REM.Thisfinalstagetakesupabout25percentofyoursleepcycle.DuringREMsleep,yourbrainismostactive,dreamsoccur,andyoureyesmovebackandforthrapidlyunderyoureyelids.REMsleephelpsboostyourmentalandphysicalperformancewhenyouwakeup.Ittakes,onaverage,about90minutestogothrougheachcycle.Completingfivecyclesanightmeansyou’dget7.5hoursofsleep,whilesixfullcyclestranslatestoabout9hoursofsleep.Ideally,youwanttowakeupattheendofasleepcycleinsteadofinthemiddleofit—that’sbecauseyou’lltypicallyfeelmorerefreshedandenergizedifyouwakeupattheendofacycle.Whyissleepimportant? Sleepiscrucialformanyreasons.Agoodnight’ssleep:helpsregulatethereleaseofhormonesthatcontrolappetite,metabolism,growth,andhealingboostsbrainfunction,concentration,focus,andproductivityreducesyourriskforheartdiseaseandstrokehelpswithweightmanagementhelpsmaintainhealthyimmunesystemfunctionlowersyourriskforchronichealthconditions,suchasdiabetesandhighbloodpressureimprovesathleticperformance,reactiontime,andspeedmayloweryourriskfordepressionimproveslibidoandsexualfunctionFrequentlyaskedquestionsaboutsleepYou’llfindanswerstosomecommonquestionsaboutsleepbelow.Doesyourneedforsleepchangewithage?Yes,yourneedforsleepdoeschangewithage,thoughittypicallystabilizesaroundtheageof20.Asyougetolder,youneedlesssleep,asageneralrule.Variousenvironmental,behavioral,andmedicalfactorscaninfluencehowmuchsleepyouneed,though,andthosemaychangethroughoutyourlife.Forinstance:Ayoungadultmaywanttodomore—andstayuplater—thantheycouldasateenager.Anadultintheir40shasahigherchanceofchronichealthconditionsthatmightaffecttheirsleepneeds.Changinglifestylesinolderage,includinganirregularschedule,mayleadtomoretimespentinbed.WhyamIstilltiredaftersleepingfor8hours?Thereareafewpossiblereasonsyoumightwakeuptired,evenaftersleepingfor8hours.Agoodplacetostartexploringthesereasons?Consideryoursleephabitsandsleephygienepractices.Whenitcomestosleep,qualitymattersjustasmuchasquantity.Thingsthatcoulddetractfromthequalityofyoursleepinclude:yoursleepenvironment(Isitnoisy?Toohotorcold?Toobright?)whoyoushareyourbedwith(Apartnerwhosnoresorfidgets?Arestlesspet?)sleepdisorderslikeinsomniaorsleepapneachronicpainanunderlyingmedicalormentalhealthconditionIsithealthytosleepduringtheday?Pullingall-nighters,orworkingthegraveyardshiftandthensleepingintheday,maycontributetosomenegativehealtheffects,includingincreasedriskforcardiovasculardiseaseandtype2diabetes.Researchsuggeststhatbeinganightowlcouldalsoaffectyoureatinghabitsandleadtoerraticeatingpatterns,including:skippingbreakfastandovereatinglaterinthedayconsumingmoresugar,caffeine,alcohol,andfastfoodWhat’smore,gettingqualitysleepduringthedaycanbeachallenge,withallthedistractionsandnoiseoflifehappeningaroundyou.Whenyoudon’thaveanyoptionbeyondworkingatnightandsleepingduringtheday,thesetipscanhelpyougetbetterrest.TipsforbettersleepToimproveyoursleephealth,considerthefollowingtips.DuringthedayExerciseregularly,buttrytoscheduleyourworkoutsatleastafewhoursbeforeyougotosleep.Exercisingtooclosetobedtimemayleadtointerruptedsleep.Increaseyourexposuretosunlightorbrightlightsduringtheday.Thiscanhelpmaintainyourbody’scircadianrhythms,whichaffectyoursleep-wakecycle.Trynottotakelongnaps,especiallylateintheafternoon.Trytowakeupatthesametimeeachday.BeforebedLimitalcohol,caffeine,andnicotineintheevening.Thesesubstanceshavethepotentialtointerruptyoursleepormakeitdifficulttofallasleep.Switchoffelectronicsatleast30minutesbeforebedtime.Thelightfromthesedevicescanstimulateyourbrainandmakeithardertofallasleep.Getintothehabitofarelaxingroutinebeforebedtime,liketakingahotbathorlisteningtosoothingmusic.Turndownthelightsshortlybeforebedtimetohelpyourbrainunderstandthatit’stimetosleep.Turndownthethermostatinyourbedroom.65°F(18.3°C)isanidealsleepingtemperature.InbedAvoidscreentimeinbedtoreducebluelightexposure,whichcandisruptsleep.Readabookorlistentowhitenoisetohelpyourelax.Closeyoureyes,relaxyourmuscles,andfocusonsteadybreathing.Ifyou’reunabletofallasleep,getoutofbedandmovetoanotherroom.Readabookorlistentomusicuntilyoustartfeelingtired,thengobacktobed.Formoresleepsupport,checkoutoursleepshop.ThebottomlineIfyou’reaimingfor7to9hoursofsleepeachnight,asleepcalculator(liketheoneabove)canhelpyoufigureoutwhattimetogotobedbasedonyourwake-uptime.Ideally,you’llwanttowakeupattheendofyoursleepcycle,whichiswhenyou’remostlikelytofeelthemostrested.Agoodnight’ssleepisessentialtogoodhealth,soifyou’rehavingtroublefallingasleeporstayingasleep,considerreachingouttoahealthcareprofessional.Theycanhelpyouexploreunderlyingcausesofsleepdifficultiesandofferguidance.LastmedicallyreviewedonJanuary25,202229sourcescollapsedHealthlinehasstrictsourcingguidelinesandreliesonpeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicalassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.AAPendorsesnewrecommendationsonsleeptimes.(2016).publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/6630Agoodnight'ssleep.(2020).nia.nih.gov/health/good-nights-sleepAidmanE,etal.(2018).Effectsofsleepdeprivationonexecutivefunctioning,cognitiveabilities,metacognitiveconfidence,anddecisionmaking.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/acp.3463Brainbasics:Understandingsleep.(2019).ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/patient-caregiver-education/understanding-sleepCassoffJ,etal.(2012).SleeppatternsandtheriskforADHD:Areview.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3630973ClaticiVG,etal.(2017).Perceivedageandlifestyle.Thespecificcontributionsofsevenfactorsinvolvedinhealthandbeauty.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5706759CostaA,etal.(2019).Theeffectsofsleepdeprivationoncognitiveperformance.academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/29/Supplement_1/ckz034.096/5480863?login=truedellaMonicaC,etal.(2018).Whatmakesagoodnight’ssleep?Theexternalandinternalfactorsthatinfluenceagoodnight’ssleep.physoc.org/magazine-articles/what-makes-a-good-nights-sleepDepnerCM,etal.(2018).Mistimedfoodintakeandsleepalters24-hourtime-of-daypatternsofthehumanplasmaproteome. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6003375FreemanD,etal.(2017).Theeffectsofimprovingsleeponmentalhealth(OASIS):Arandomisedcontrolledtrialwithmediationanalysis.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(17)30328-0/fulltextGarcía-LunarI,etal.(2021).Goodnight,sleeptight.academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/42/21/2100/6239230HaghayeghS,etal.(2019).Before-bedtimepassivebodyheatingbywarmshowerorbathtoimprovesleep:Asystematicreviewandmeta-analysis.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079218301552HaleL,etal.(2018).Youthscreenmediahabitsandsleep:sleep-friendlyscreen-behaviorrecommendationsforclinicians,educators,andparents.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5839336HansonJA,etal.(2021).Sleepdeprivation.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547676HoldingBC,etal.(2021).Quantifyingcognitiveimpairmentaftersleepdeprivationatdifferenttimesofday:Aproofofconceptusingultra-shortsmartphone-basedtests.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2021.666146/fullHowmuchsleepdoIneed?(2017).cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.htmlKalmbachDA,etal.(2015).Theimpactofsleeponfemalesexualresponseandbehavior:Apilotstudy.deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/111751/jsm12858.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=yKohnTP,etal.(2020).Theeffectofsleeponmen'shealth.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7108988LawsonCC,etal.(2021).Recentnewsaboutnightshiftworkandcancer:Whatdoesitmeanforworkers?blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2021/04/27/nightshift-cancerMaY,eyal.(2020).Associationbetweensleepdurationandcognitivedecline.jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2770743MedicG,etal.(2017).Short-andlong-termhealthconsequencesofsleepdisruption.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5449130PatelAK,etal.(2021).Physiology,sleepstages.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526132SaghirZ,etal.(2018).Theamygdala,sleepdebt,sleepdeprivation,andtheemotionofanger:Apossibleconnection?ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6122651ScottAJ,etal.(2017).Doesimprovingsleepleadtobettermentalhealth?Aprotocolforameta-analyticreviewofrandomisedcontrolledtrials.bmjopen.bmj.com/content/7/9/e016873.longSleepdisordersandsleepdeprivation:Anunmetpublichealthproblem.(2006).ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19961Sleepneedsacrossthelifespan.(2015).sleephealthfoundation.org.au/files/pdfs/Sleep-Needs-Across-Lifespan.pdfStepanM,etal.(2020).Effectsoftotalsleepdeprivationonproceduralplacekeeping:Morethanjustlapsesofattention.content.apa.org/record/2019-70149-001TähkämöL,etal.(2018).Systematicreviewoflightexposureimpactonhumancircadianrhythm.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07420528.2018.1527773Tipsforbettersleep.(2016).cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.htmlFEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyNickVillalobos,MD—WrittenbyJamesRoland—UpdatedonJanuary25,2022ReadthisnextThe15BestVitaminBrandsof2022:ADietitian’sPicksWrittenbyRachaelLink,MS,RDIt'snosecretthatvitaminscanimproveyourhealth,butnotallvitaminsandmineralsarecreatedequal.Herearethe15bestvitaminbrandstohelp…READMOREChronicInflammation:LowVitaminDLevelsMayBeaPossibleCauseAnewstudyhasfoundalinkbetweenlowvitaminDlevelsinthebloodandelevatedC-reactiveprotein,anindicatorofchronicinflammation…READMOREThe14BestFishOilSupplementsof2022,AccordingtoDietitiansWrittenbySaVannaShoemaker,MS,RDN,LDandRachaelLink,MS,RDIfyoudon'teatfish,takingasupplementcanbeaquickwaytoincreaseyourintakeofomega-3fattyacids.Herearethe14bestfishoil…READMORE8BestPersonalizedVitaminSubscriptionServicesfor2022,AccordingtoDietitiansWrittenbySaVannaShoemaker,MS,RDN,LDVitaminsubscriptionservicesnotonlydelivervitaminstoyourdoorbutalsohelpyoukeeptrackofwhattotakewhen.Theymayevenoffer…READMOREThe7BestVitaminsandSupplementsforStress,AccordingtoDietitiansWrittenbySaVannaShoemaker,MS,RDN,LDandGavinVanDeWalle,MS,RDStressmaybecausedbymanyfactors,suchaswork,money,health,orrelationships.Herearethe7bestvitaminsandsupplementstohelpyoumanage…READMOREThe15BestIronSupplementsof2022,AccordingtoDietitiansWrittenbyJillianKubala,MS,RDWhileit'salwaysbesttofulfillyourironneedsthroughdiet,supplementsmaysometimesbecomenecessary.Herearethe15bestironsupplementsfor…READMOREThe10BestVitaminBComplexSupplementsfor2022,ADietitian'sPicksWrittenbyJillianKubala,MS,RDBvitaminsarenecessaryforavarietyoffunctions,butmanypeopleareatriskforBvitamindeficiency.Herearethe10bestvitaminBsupplements…READMOREWhatisCare/of?Pros,Cons,andHowItComparesWrittenbySaVannaShoemaker,MS,RDN,LDOurexpertshareseverythingyouneedtoknowaboutthepersonalizedvitaminscompanyCare/ofinthiscomprehensivereview.READMORECare/ofvs.Ritual:WhichPersonalizedVitaminBrandIsBest?WrittenbyEllenLandes,MS,RDN,CPTFindoutifCare/oforRitualisthebetterpersonalizedsubscriptionserviceforyouinourexpertcomparison.READMORE