Tip of the Month - September 2025

What You Need to Know About Healthy Sleep

After speaking with parents of athletes in various sports, the issue seems to be the same: children and youths do not get enough sleep. I came across excellent information from Healthline regarding sleep patterns for children and youth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you aim to get the amounts of sleep listed below:

Children:

Younger children have even greater sleep needs, but they do not have to get all of their sleep at once. Many children reach their sleep goals with the help of naps.

3 to 5 years — 10 to 13 hours

6 to 12 years — 9 to 12 hours

Adolescents:

13 to 17 years — 8 to 10 hours

18 to 60 years — 7 or more hours

61 to 64 years — 7 to 9 hours

65 years and older — 7 to 8 hours

Ultimately, each person has unique sleep needs. Certain factors, such as genetics, can influence your sleep quality and duration. The National Sleep Foundation has also published recommendations for sleep duration. Furthermore, individuals who get high-quality sleep may need slightly less sleep than those who often wake up or have difficulty staying asleep.

References:

https://www.healthline.com › health › healthy-sleep (November 4, 2024).

Medically reviewed by Meir Kryger, MD, FRCP (C); Written by Kimberly Holland.