Sleep needs by age: CDC sets 7 or more hours a night for adults aged 18 to 60

Newborns need between 14 and 17 hours of sleep a day, and adults aged 18 to 60 should get at least 7 hours a night. As of November 10, 2026, the age table published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the sources checked for this story has not changed.

Sleep does more than fill time in bed. It acts as a main biological regulator, affecting immune function, blood sugar control, hormone balance and the brain’s ability to restore its functions. Long-term lack of sleep is linked to high blood pressure, metabolic obesity, type 2 diabetes, depressive episodes and problems forming short- and long-term memories.

Quality matters as much as duration. Sleep moves through light sleep, deep slow-wave sleep and REM sleep, and that sequence has to stay intact for cells to repair fully.

How much sleep babies, kids and teens need each day

The central nervous system goes through critical stages of development in childhood and early youth. During those stages, growth hormone, known as somatotropin, peaks mostly in the deepest phases of nighttime rest.

In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) published structured guidance on physical and neurological development in early childhood. The document calls for long rest periods, daytime naps and consistent schedules.

• Newborns, 0 to 3 months: 14 to 17 hours a day, including naps.
• Infants, 4 to 12 months: 12 to 16 hours a day, including naps.
• Toddlers, 1 to 2 years: 11 to 14 hours a day, including naps.
• Preschoolers, 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours a day, including naps.
• School-age children, 6 to 12 years: 9 to 12 hours a day.
• Teens, 13 to 17 years: 8 to 10 hours a day.

Meeting these targets in childhood is linked to better learning retention, motor coordination and mood regulation. Children who chronically sleep too little often show irritability, daytime inattention and changes in appetite.

During adolescence, the body’s clock shifts. The pineal gland releases melatonin later, a delay that doctors call phase delay, so teens tend to fall asleep later. Early school start times can cut into sleep, which makes planning bedtimes important.

Sleep needs for adults over 18 and for older people

As growth ends, sleep needs shift toward cell maintenance, clearing neurotoxic metabolites and metabolic balance. Those tasks continue through adult life, and the body keeps relying on the same nightly repair.

The CDC sets three main bands for adulthood.

• Adults aged 18 to 60: 7 or more hours of sleep a night.
• Adults aged 61 to 64: 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day.
• Adults aged 65 and older: 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night.

Among adults over 65, the sleep pattern changes. Slow-wave deep sleep shrinks, and brief awakenings become more frequent during the night.

That broken sleep does not mean older people need less rest. They keep an average need of about 7 hours a day and often take short naps to make up for lost continuity at night. Some guidelines differ on the bands, and the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) lists 7 to 9 hours for adults aged 26 to 64.

Effects of short sleep on hormones, heart and brain

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, says chronic lack of rest disrupts key hormone systems. The effect reaches the body’s appetite signals.

Less sleep changes two appetite hormones. Leptin signals the brain that the body is full, while ghrelin triggers hunger. Short sleep lowers circulating leptin and raises ghrelin, which can increase daytime intake of foods high in sugar and saturated fat.

In the cardiovascular system, chronic sleep loss prevents the usual drop in blood pressure and heart rate during the night. That constant strain raises markers of vascular inflammation and the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Short periods of rest also affect the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala, areas tied to emotion and judgment. People may react more strongly to emotions, judge risks less well and find it harder to concentrate on work tasks.

From the discovery of REM sleep to today’s global guidelines

Scientists began measuring sleep cycles in a structured way in the 1950s. That decade saw researchers Eugene Aserinsky and Nathaniel Kleitman discover REM sleep at the University of Chicago. The finding showed the brain stays active in consolidating processes while the body rests.

Industrial work schedules in the 19th and 20th centuries often ignored internal biological clocks, keeping whole populations awake for long periods. From 2015, international medical societies, led by the National Sleep Foundation and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, reviewed thousands of scientific articles to set numerical sleep ranges by age.

In 2019, the WHO issued its own global guidance with a focus on children. For the first time, it linked hours of sleep to limits on sedentary time in front of screens. The agency also said bright screens at night directly reduce melatonin, creating a lasting mismatch with the body clock.

Daily habits for better sleep and where to get medical care

Good sleep depends on coordinated habits known as sleep hygiene. These habits align the bedroom and the daily routine with the body’s circadian rhythm.

Sleep medicine centers recommend five daily habits, each aimed at easing the transition into deep sleep.

• Keep the same times for waking up and going to bed, including weekends and holidays.
• Stop using screens from phones, computers and televisions at least 60 minutes before bed.
• Avoid caffeinated drinks such as coffee and energy drinks, and heavy meals, in the four hours before bed.
• Keep the bedroom dark, quiet and cool, with a mild temperature.
• Use the bed only for sleeping, not for work or study.

People who snore persistently, stop breathing at night, wake up tired or have recurring insomnia should seek medical help. In Brazil, the Unified Health System (SUS) offers first care at Basic Health Units (UBS), which perform the initial clinical diagnosis.

When indicated, the UBS refers patients to neurology, pulmonology or otorhinolaryngology clinics for a polysomnography, a sleep study that records the body’s activity overnight.