How much sleep do adults need?
The CDC lists 7 or more hours for adults 18 to 60, 7 to 9 hours for adults 61 to 64, and 7 to 8 hours for adults 65 and older. The right amount for one person depends on that person, so these are reference ranges and not a rule.
Action level Worth checking
- Why you are seeing it
- It comes up in health articles, on fitness devices and when someone asks how much sleep is enough.
- Why it matters
- It gives a reference for comparing your own sleep, so you can see whether you are far from the range listed for your age group.
- What should I do?
- Work out how much sleep you get with the Sleep Time Calculator.
- Find a bedtime for the hours you choose with the Sleep Calculator.
- Ask a doctor if you often feel unrested or have trouble sleeping.
- A common misunderstanding
- The range is a reference for a group, so it does not mean one person needs exactly that many hours.
The ranges the CDC lists
| Age group | Hours |
|---|---|
| Teens 13 to 17 | 8 to 10 |
| Adults 18 to 60 | 7 or more |
| Adults 61 to 64 | 7 to 9 |
| Adults 65 and older | 7 to 8 |
A simple example
A bedtime for 8 hours
To wake at 7:00 AM after 8 hours of sleep, with 15 minutes to fall asleep: 7:00 AM - 8 hours - 15 minutes = 10:45 PM.
For 7 hours the same wake time gives 11:45 PM.
The hours are your choice. The range is only for reference.
How to use a range
A range describes what the CDC lists for a group of people. It does not say how much one person needs, how well they sleep, or what to do about trouble sleeping. A doctor can help with that.
If you want a bedtime for a number of hours you choose, working it out is clock arithmetic: wake time, minus the sleep, minus the time to fall asleep.
Try these tools
- Sleep CalculatorWork out when to go to bed or wake up for the amount of sleep you choose. Clock arithmetic, free.
- Sleep Time CalculatorEnter your bedtime and wake time and see how much sleep you actually get, after the time to fall asleep.
- Sleep Difference CalculatorEnter a nightly goal you choose and your sleep for several nights to see the total and average difference.