Sleep: How many hours do you really need to be in shape?

Sleep: How many hours do you really need to be in shape?

How many hours do you really need to be fit and healthy? Discover the recommendations, age by age, and tips very simple to apply, to sleep better and improve the quality of your sleep.
The quality and quantity of sleep are decisive for health
Staggered hours, late bedtime, difficulty falling asleep, nocturnal awakenings ... If many people suffer from sleep disorders, sleep well is essential to our well-being and our health.
You try as much as possible to sleep a maximum of hours, to avoid sleep debts. But do you know when that moment was when you really felt refreshed and healthy?

In general, it is recommended to sleep between 7 and 8 hours to really recharge the batteries. But sleep needs vary, not only according to the person's age, but also according to their lifestyle and state of health. Indeed, it is not only the amount of sleep that counts, but the quality of sleep and the factors that determine it are also not to be neglected.

In order to define our needs, the National Sleep Foundation has just published a two-year global study. It gives the keys to a good sleep: how many hours must it sleep according to its age, the questions to ask to know if our sleep is of quality, the advice to apply to gain energy ...

Getting to know each other better to assess your sleep: the right questions to ask yourself
Here are some questions to ask yourself, to more accurately determine your sleep needs:

Do you suffer from sleep disorders?
Are you productive, healthy and happy after 7 hours of sleep? Or do you need 9 hours of sleep to feel great?
Do you have health problems? Are you overweight? Are you at risk for certain diseases?
Are you dependent on caffeine during the day?
Do you sleep while driving?
Sleep: new recommendations, age by age
The National Sleep Foundation gives its recommendations for optimal sleep duration, according to age.

Newborns (0-3 months): between 14 hours and 17 hours of sleep a day
Infants (4-11 months): between 12 hours to 15 hours of sleep a day
Toddlers (1-2 years): between 11 am to 14 hours of sleep a day
Preschoolers (3-5 years): between 10 hours to 13 hours of sleep a day
School-age children (6-13 years old): between 9 and 11 hours of sleep a day
Teenagers (14-17 years old): Between 8 hours and 10 hours of sleep a day
Young adults (18-25 years old): between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a day
Adults (26-64 years old): between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a day
Seniors (65 years and over): between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a day
10 tips to sleep well and boost your energy
The American organization also gives simple but effective tips to apply to sleep better, improve sleep quality and gain vitality.
Try to keep fixed sleep schedules even on weekends
Set up a bedtime relaxation ritual: yoga, meditation, sophrology ...
Exercise regularly and stay active daily
Make sure to keep the ideal temperature in your room (not too high), work as far as possible the light and the soundproofing of the room
Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows
Limit alcohol and caffeine use
Turn off your electronics before you slide into your bed
Consult your doctor if you suffer from any of these pathologies, so that it is taken care of: somnolence during the day, snoring, breathing disorders during the night, prolonged insomnia ...

"More importantly, make sleep a priority, you need to plan your sleep like any other day-to-day activity, so put it on your to-do list and strip it out every night. the task you do once everything else is done - stop doing the other things going on if needed, to get the sleep you need, "say the specialists.