In the ideal world, we would have the luxury of going to bed early and then waking up early, resting for a productive day.
There are perhaps two important aspects to keep in mind when it comes to sleep: the amount we get and the sequence of time.
Everyone experiences natural decreases in alertness and increased alertness during certain hours within a 24-hour period. We are usually most sleepy between 1pm and 3pm and between 2am and 4am.
The better the quality of our sleep, the less likely we are to experience significant drowsiness during the day. The circadian rhythm also dictates our natural schedule for going to bed and waking up in the morning. Once we get used to going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, our brains adapt to this schedule and follow it successfully.
Most experts recommend that adults sleep at least seven hours a night. Here is the average amount of sleep we need to get according to age.
From 0 to 3 months, we need between 14 and 17 hours, while from 4 to 12 months, the hours are already 12-16. Between 1 and 2 years we should receive between 11 and 14 hours, while between 3 and 5 years – 10-13 hours.
From 9 to 12 years we need sleep hours per day are 9-12, and between 13 and 18 years are 8-10 hours. From the age of 18 to 60, we need at least 7 hours a night. From 61 to 64 years, we need about 7-9 hours of sleep per night, and after 65 years, the hours per night are between 7 and 8.
