The Sleep Architecture 6: How Much Sleep Do You Actually Need?
- Heidi Link
- Jun 17
- 2 min read
SLEEP INSIDER: Sleep needs vary dramatically by age and individual genetics
Age-based recommendations (National Sleep Foundation, 2015):
• Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours
• Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours
• School-age (6-13 years): 9-11 hours
• Teenagers (14-17 years): 8-10 hours
• Adults (18-64 years): 7-9 hours
• Older adults (65+): 7-8 hours
Calculate your personal sleep need:
Extended sleep method: Sleep 9-10 hours for 7-14 days without alarms
Track natural wake times to find your optimal sleep duration (OSD)
Monitor alertness: No excessive daytime sleepiness = adequate sleep
Consider genetics: PER3 gene variations affect individual needs by 1-2 hours
Personal Sleep Need Tracker & Calculator
Instructions:For 7–10 days, go to bed at your natural time, wake up without an alarm, and record your sleep duration. After the last day, calculate the average to find your ideal personal sleep need.
Sleep Log
Day | Date | Bedtime | Wake Time | Total Sleep (hrs) |
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2 | ||||
3 | ||||
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5 | ||||
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9 | ||||
10 |
Sleep Need Calculator
Add Total Sleep Hours (from above):
____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ = ____ hours
Divide by Number of Days Tracked (e.g. 7 or 10):
Sleep Need (hrs)=Total HoursDays Tracked=____ hours/night\text{Sleep Need (hrs)} = \frac{\text{Total Hours}}{\text{Days Tracked}} = \mathbf{\_\_\_\_ \text{ hours/night}}
Relax. Sleep Smart. Thrive,
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Heidi Link
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