How much sleep do adults need?
Most adults do well on 7 to 9 hours a night, and adults over 65 on 7 to 8. That's the recommendation of a National Sleep Foundation expert panel1. The panel also says the amount varies from person to person, so how you feel in the morning counts too1.
What the research found
The panel's ranges are for healthy people, and were agreed by 18 experts who reviewed the research1. They're a guide, not a target to hit every night.
Timing may matter as well as hours. Many people go to bed and get up later on days off than on work days, and researchers call that gap "social jetlag"2. In a survey of 501 people, that gap went along with differences in how people rated their sleep and how they felt2. That's a pattern, not proof of a cause.
Can you catch up at the weekend?
Partly, and it's less simple than it sounds. In a small lab study of healthy young adults, people who slept as long as they liked at the weekend, after a short-sleep week, slept only about 1.1 hours more than usual overall. Their body clocks then ran later in the short nights that followed3.
A lie-in is lovely. An earlier night midweek is worth a try too, if your week allows it.
When to talk to someone
If you're tired most mornings for a couple of weeks, a sleep specialist can help work out what's going on.
Curious where you stand?
SleepPath is our sleep assessment. It takes about 10 minutes, and you can stop after any part and pick up later.