Hours of Sleep Needed

After a long day of physically and mentally taxing work, your body requires rest. When you sleep, your body and mind relax and get ready for another day's work. It is essential to fulfill this need, as otherwise, it will adversely affect your health and efficiency. People who do not sleep enough, are known to be irritable and short-tempered. But that does not mean that oversleeping or not working is the answer! There should be a balance between work and rest. So that leaves us with the question, how many hours of sleep is needed by a normal human.

What is Sleep?
It is quite tricky to define sleep. One could say that is a temporary state of unconsciousness which can be revived and is characterized by short term suspension of motor and sensory activities. But unlike a coma, this state of unconsciousness is reversible. There have been several researches into the causes and effects of sleep, but none have been able to clearly state the advantages of a good sleep. But not sleeping the needed hours of sleep regularly, leads to a number of physical problems such as lowered body temperature, decrease in the levels of secretion of growth hormones and sometimes, there may even be a variability in the rate of heartbeats. There may also be several nervous system problems, drowsiness, inability to concentrate and make logical decisions. On the other hand, a good night's sleep will ensure long term health and wellness

Minimum Hours of Sleep Needed by Age
The recommended hours for sleep required by people varies with age. The average hours of sleep needed vary based on what stage of the life cycle you are in.

Infants: New-born babies and infants need a lot of sleep. Most infants that are less than 3 months old, require up to 18 hours of sleep per day. As the babies grow, up to 3 years, they tend to sleep the whole night and also take a nap in the afternoons. 14 hours of sleep is needed by babies of this age.

Children: As you grow up, the number of hours of sleep start reducing. Children between 3-5 years generally need about 12 hours of sleep. Kids between 5-10 years of age usually have 10 hours of sleep. Adolescents also need 8-10 hours of sleep daily.

Teenage and Adults: People in this age group generally need the lowest hours for sleep. 8 hours of sleep is required by most adults, while the elderly may need only 6 hours of sleep.

Sleeping Problems
Many people suffer from sleep disorders such as insomnia. They aren't able to get their full quota of sleep and hence suffer the same problems that occur due to lack of sleep. Most of the times, insomnia is caused due to alcoholism, drug and stimulants consumption and stress. If you are not getting your full quota of sleep, I suggest you read these articles on How to Fall Asleep Fast and Tips to Fall Asleep. You can also use sleeping medication, but only after consulting your doctor.

So this was all about the hours of sleep needed. It is very essential to get your daily quota of sleep, otherwise you will end up with a sleep debt. So if you have any sleeping problems, you should sort them out quickly, so you have a normal, trouble-free lifestyle!