How many hours does a person need to sleep: how much sleep do you need per day? Optimal duration of human sleep per day

Sleep is amazing, important and difficult process. A person spends a third of his life in this state, but its functions and purpose are still not fully understood.

One thing is clear - the dream is a necessary condition physical and mental health. But how much sleep do you need to feel vigorous and full of vitality?

Duration of healthy sleep

In fact, the duration of sleep for an adult is a relative indicator. It is widely believed that in order to be healthy and productive, an adult must sleep 8 hours a day. But these are average statistics.

Someone spends 6 hours in a state of sleep, while feeling great, while others need to devote everything to this process

Other factors also influence the difference in duration: age, health, fatigue, climate change, stress and other reasons.

In the first year of his life, a child “steals” up to 700 hours of sleep from his parents(about 2 hours a day).

Let's get back to the statistics. Depending on age, the need for sleep changes as follows:

  • Newborns should sleep an average of 15 hours a day;
  • Children - 10 hours;
  • Adults - 8 hours;
  • After 65 years - 6 hours.

But these numbers should not be taken as an axiom.. You need to listen to yourself. Because need is an individual thing. The human body itself definitely knows how many hours it needs to rest, so you need to listen carefully to your body.

Scientists from Japan conducted a large-scale study that lasted many years. The results of this event showed that those who sleep 7 hours a night live significantly longer those who spend less or more time sleeping.

In order for Morpheus’ hug to bring maximum benefit, you need to follow some rules, which we will discuss later.

6 principles of healthy sleep

Source of strength, youth, beauty, full life... All this has been said about sleep. It is an inseparable and very important part of our existence.

In order for sleep to truly be a source of strength, experts give the following recommendations:

  • Mode required. To do this, you need to go to bed and wake up at a certain time. If you do not follow this principle, your biorhythms will be disrupted, which will lead to sleep disturbances, irritability, decreased concentration, frequent changes mood and other troubles, including illness. So it’s worth taking a close look at organizing your sleep and not deviating from your routine even on weekends.
  • After waking up, you need to get out of bed immediately. If you fall asleep again, it will have a negative impact on your well-being. And it’s even better to make the bed so that the temptation of a soft blanket doesn’t pull you back into the arms of Morpheus.
  • An hour before bedtime is the time that should pass in a peaceful environment. Therefore, no physical activity, activity or fuss. It is better to leave all this for daylight hours. It’s also good for this hour to come up with some kind of calming ritual of preparing for bed, all the actions of which will always need to be performed in a certain sequence, in other words, to set a psychological anchor.
  • Don't eat 2 hours before bedtime. And let this dinner be easy.
  • Abuse of drinks such as coffee and tea, as well as smoking and alcohol, has a negative effect on sleep.

Another tip: It’s better to go to bed at 10 or 11 pm. Sleep is most beneficial for health from 23.00 to 5.00. As a last resort, you should try to capture the period from two o'clock in the morning to four - this is the time of the strongest and good sleep.

Daytime sleep: is it necessary?

Siesta (short - about 30 minutes - rest and sleep during the day) reduces the risk cardiovascular diseases. If you do it at least three times a week, you can immediately feel healing effect- improves mood, attention, memory, reaction, etc.

Daytime naps are especially useful for those who, for some reason, cannot get enough sleep. dark time days. Just don’t spend more than half an hour on it - this can lead to difficulty falling asleep at night.

It's good to have the opportunity to take a short nap during the day. But there is a category of people for whom this vacation creates problems, causing sleep disorders. If such complications arise, then it is better to exclude the siesta from your routine.

Lack of sleep and its harm

Constant disruptions to less than normal sleep duration lead to chronic lack of sleep. This is bad for your health. And trying to make up the deficit on weekends only makes the situation worse. So, lack of sleep leads to:

  • To reduce the body's resistance to viruses and infections;
  • Decrease in performance;
  • Deterioration of attention and memory;
  • Development of heart and vascular diseases;
  • Headaches;
  • Excess weight;
  • Depression;
  • Insomnia.

In men, the consequences of lack of sleep are reflected in a decrease in testosterone production, and this is a decrease in endurance, strength, libido, an increase in adipose tissue and other manifestations, including inflammation of the prostate.

Obesity occurs when trying to eliminate a sensitive lack of energy through high-calorie foods. More With lack of sleep, cortisol, which is a stress hormone, begins to be actively produced. And some people often nervous problems jammed.

Often causeless rage, anger, wild irritability, general depression. Of course, the lack of precious sleep primarily affects the nervous system. But this also causes blood pressure to rise, the heart begins to seize, and problems with the gastrointestinal tract arise. And outwardly it is easy to identify a person suffering from lack of sleep: red eyes and dark circles under them, swelling of the face, etc.

Also shortage healthy sleep is dangerous due to jet lag, which can lead to serious health problems.

Sometimes lack of sleep leads to disturbances in the functioning of the body that a person cannot cope with on his own. And in order to return to a normal, fulfilling life, you have to contact a specialist.

You should think about it - if everything around you is annoying, infuriating, nothing is going well, you are not satisfied with your own appearance - maybe you just need to get some sleep before this condition becomes chronic.

Oversleep and its consequences

Consistently sleeping more than 9–10 hours a day is not normal for an adult. And it also threatens your health, and no less than lack of sleep. Here's what this can lead to:

  • Obesity. Both lack and excess sleep lead to excess weight gain.
  • Headache.
  • Back pain.
  • Depression. When the mental state is depressed, the body requires more sleep. Here, overspray is more a consequence than a cause. But excess sleep can also make the disease worse.
  • Diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

It is necessary to be examined by a doctor if sleep, in the absence of illness, constantly exceeds 10 hours a day.

Scientists have proven that oversleeping reduces life expectancy.

Sleep disorders

When real problems occur, posing a threat health, you need to consult a neurologist or psychotherapist. Sleep disorders can be::

  • Insomnia (insomnia) - difficulty falling asleep. A factor in the appearance of this disorder can be neuroses and psychoses, as well as serious brain damage or somatic ailments.
  • Hypersomnia is, on the contrary, unhealthy sleepiness. Narcolepsy and lethargic sleep are particularly dangerous here.
  • Parasomnia - manifested by night walking, nightmares, etc. The cause may be ordinary neurosis.
  • Intrasomnia - repeated awakenings.
  • Bruxism is teeth grinding in your sleep.
  • Apnea is a breathing disorder.
  • Sleep paralysis is muscle stiffness that occurs before a person falls asleep or after waking up.

Sleep is a source of strength, energy, life. By establishing this process yourself or with the help of specialists, you can solve many health problems.

We spend an average of 24 years of our lives sleeping. Quite a lot, right? And therefore, it is not only interesting, but also important, how to sleep correctly and how to benefit from this process maximum benefit. Therefore, we try to regularly cover this topic and in this article we will talk about what is more harmful: oversleep or lack of sleep, and what exactly happens to our brain when there is a lack of sleep.

Let's dispel the myth that you need to sleep 8 hours

If you ask several people around you on the topic: “How many hours a day do you need to sleep to stay alert during the day?”, you will most likely get an answer like this: “They say 8 hours. Yes, I myself feel that I need 8 hours, or better yet, 9!”

And yet we will argue with this statement again. Here's what psychiatry professor Daniel Kripke, who has conducted many studies on sleep, says about this:

“People who sleep 6.5 to 7.5 hours a night live longer. They are more productive and happier. And excessive sleep can even be harmful to health. And you may feel worse after sleeping for 8.5 hours than if you slept for 5."

Try to experiment and reduce your sleep to 7.5 hours, listen carefully to your feelings and feel if there is a difference. In this case, we are, of course, talking about those who sleep at least 8 hours a day. If you sleep 6, then you hardly need to cut back on anything.

And, of course, let's return again to what does not exist universal recipe for all. It's like shoe size. You must choose your own individual schedule. That is why we are talking about a personal experiment. Now, based on Professor Kripke's statement, you can try to reduce the duration of sleep, what if your “lack of sleep” was actually oversleep?

By the way, here’s a secret for you: how to get up at the time when the alarm clock rings, and not set it several times five minutes later. On exact time you must have something planned. For example, at exactly 7.30 you have breakfast. And not a minute later. Here, of course, it is also important that you have the willpower to fulfill the promise you made to yourself.

Too little sleep has a very negative effect on our brain

After reading the first paragraph, there were probably those who proudly said (or thought) that they often sleep only 4 hours a day. We have to disappoint you, this is also not a plus. Let's be honest, after sleeping for 4 hours, can you feel as cheerful and fresh as if you slept for 7.5?

But what’s interesting is that a person who has slept for 4 hours can be as attentive as someone who has slept for 7. Moreover, he can show the same results in tests and exercises.

The problem is different. Whether we get enough sleep or not, we sometimes lose focus on a task. And this is where a sleep-deprived person falls into a trap. If a person received sufficient quantity sleep, then when he begins to lose focus, his brain can return attention, but the brain of a sleep-deprived person cannot refocus.

As Professor Clifford Saper of Harvard says: “The brain of a sleep-deprived person works normally, but from time to time something happens to it, similar to a power failure in an electrical appliance.” In the image below you can see what this means. As soon as you lose focus and your attention wanders, processes in the brain begin to activate focus (the zones in which this happens are indicated yellow spots). In people who have not slept, such activity barely manifests itself or does not manifest itself at all, but the amygdala (red zones) is activated, which is a kind of “center of fear”, as a result of which the brain begins to work in such a mode as if the person is in danger from all sides. Physically, this is manifested by muscle tension, sweaty palms, rumbling in the stomach, and an unstable emotional state.

But the problem also lies in the fact that a person who lacks sleep may not notice a decrease in his productivity. There may be a false sense of security and correctness of actions, which sometimes has severe consequences. That's why you should never drive if you haven't gotten enough sleep.

On the way to healthy sleep

So, oversleeping is harmful, not getting enough sleep is even more harmful. However, it is lack of sleep that most people now suffer from. Let's try to give some tips that may help you reconsider your habits and adjust them so that your sleep is complete and your work day is productive.

Yes, yes, we already foresee a storm of indignation in the comments: “Where can I take a nap in an office where there are 10 other people besides me?!”, “What kind of boss will allow you to sleep in the workplace?” etc.

Well, to this we will say that we are all human, and we can still try to find mutual language with your boss and colleagues and at lunchtime ensure yourself a 20-minute nap.

And to make you want to do this, we will give several reasons in favor of short nap, although we have already talked a lot about it in our blog:

  • Taking a nap for just 20 minutes will restore your alertness and increase your productivity.
  • Determine at what time you feel a particular decline in energy? It is at this hour that a respite should be appointed;
  • at the end of the day you will still be full of energy, and not squeezed out like a lemon, and as a result, you will be more productive and spend the evening with more pleasure.

For those who think that they cannot sleep for 20-30 minutes, that after such sleep they feel even more exhausted, we advise you to still try to take a regular nap for several days, but strictly no more than 30 minutes. Soon the body will get used to this schedule and you will be able to appreciate all the benefits of a day's respite. By the way, this is important - it is advisable to take a nap at the same time every day and for the same number of minutes.

2. Create a bedtime routine

Why not a ritual of washing and brushing your teeth, for example? But it's not that simple. The ritual should be pleasant for you, you should want to perform it, while washing and brushing your teeth is rather a necessity, a habit.

And most importantly, the evening ritual should free you from the worries of the past day, preparing you for Good night. Here's what you can try to use as a ritual:

  • A short (20 minutes) walk. You will be refreshed and get your thoughts a little in order during it.
  • Reading fiction. It is artistic, because, unlike professional, it will allow you to immerse yourself in another world and, sympathizing with the heroes, forget about your own affairs for a while.

3. Get tired!

As my English teacher used to say: “Last but not least.” The last piece of advice, but not the least important. To fall asleep quickly and sleep soundly, you must be tired! Both mentally and physically. This is why it is so important not only to work productively with your head during the day, but also to engage in physical exercise. You should be practically exhausted before your body can fall into a deep, healthy sleep.

Small interesting fact

Women need a little more sleep than men. On average - 20 minutes, but perhaps more. Why? Because the female brain is somewhat more complex, and therefore requires more time to reboot.

Sleep is a very interesting and very diverse topic. We constantly find something new and interesting about it, but we understand that we are still very far from saying that we know absolutely everything about how to sleep correctly, how much sleep and how it affects the brain or body.

By the way, if you know some new interesting fact about sleep or you have personally conducted some experiments with sleep time and its quality, be sure to write to us in the comments. It is very interesting.

When a child is born, he sleeps most days, but over time the picture changes. The baby is growing up and it seems as if he is simply sorry to spend so much time sleeping.

An adult, due to difficulties modern life, gives preference to work and various activities rather than just relaxing and sleeping. After all, quite often we simply do not have enough hours in the day to solve all the problems.

IN old age It takes significantly more time to sleep, but health issues make it increasingly difficult to get enough sleep and practice good, healthy sleep.

That's why, In order for an adult’s body to be in good shape and completely healthy, it is important to follow a regular good sleep , and for this it is worth figuring out how much sleep an adult needs per day, what kind of sleep should be, how and when is the best time to sleep.

Take note of the “eight-hour rule”

According to doctors, on average, every adult needs to spend about 7-8 hours sleeping in order to get a good night's sleep. Most of us know "three eight" rule:

  • 8 hours to work;
  • 8 hours for rest;
  • 8 hours sleep.

On average, the human body is set up for eight hours of sleep, but there are exceptions. Some people need much more time, while others need less than a day to get enough sleep.

If you conduct a simple analysis of how much time an adult needs to sleep per day, the results will be as follows: The average person spends about a third of their life sleeping. Doesn't this period deserve proper organization? After all, it is healthy sleep that gives complete rest to our body and mind.

How to organize healthy sleep

Scientists provided results interesting research, which shows the relationship proper sleep and human health:

  • It turns out that it is very important not only to know how much sleep an adult needs, but also to follow a certain regimen with the same amount of sleep time per day.
  • A person lives longer if he sleeps the same amount of time every day than if he has an irregular day and time for sleep.
  • It has also been established for a long time that lack of sleep negatively affects the cardiovascular system.
  • Maintaining a routine. For sleep to be beneficial, you need to get up and go to bed at the same time of day. If this regime is violated, biorhythms change. It is worth remembering that it is better not to change your usual routine on a day off.
  • Duration of sleep. Determined that optimal time sleep is 7-8 hours a day. But scientists have also proven that it is better to sleep 6 hours without interruption than in fits and starts, but in total 8.
  • You should not stay in bed after a person wakes up. In this case, there is a high probability of falling back into sleep, and this will be wasted time. Also, gradually a person must get used to the fact that after waking up a new day begins.
  • You have to try Don't be excited before going to bed. Such situations should be avoided an hour before.
  • People who have problems falling asleep, it is recommended to carry out relaxing treatments. If you do active activities before going to bed, then you can long time toss and turn in bed because the body and brain cannot calm down quickly.
  • You shouldn't sleep in daytime , this may cause problems falling asleep at night.
  • The room where a person sleeps should be cozy. A relaxing environment is best. There is no place for a TV or computer in the bedroom.
  • After an active day a wonderful dream always follows.
  • You shouldn't overeat just before bed. There should be a break of at least 2 hours between the last meal and bedtime.
  • Also Do not smoke, drink alcohol or coffee before going to bed. All these bad habits have a very detrimental effect not only on health in general, but also on sleep.

What happens if you sleep incorrectly: symptoms of lack of sleep


They say that you don't get enough sleep constant fatigue, lethargy, irritability, decreased performance, etc.

Before talking about the importance of healthy sleep, it is worth understanding how to determine whether there is a deficiency of this condition in the body. After all, a lack of healthy sleep has a negative impact on general condition body and contributes to the development of many diseases.

If you don't get enough sleep, you experience the following symptoms:

  • Lethargy, constant fatigue and apathy.
  • Moodiness and irritability , which is most pronounced in children.
  • Decreased motivation.
  • Decreased performance and creativity.
  • Frequent acute respiratory infections, caries, fungal infections.
  • Problems with excess weight.
  • Poor motor skills which increases the likelihood of injury.
  • Appearances problems with cardiovascular system and the risk of developing diabetes .
  • Other health problems due to weakening of the body.

Many people don’t even realize that these symptoms indicate a lack of normal sleep volume. After all, a person needs to sleep as much per day as the body requires for good rest, both adults and children.

How much sleep does a person need per day at different ages?

As already noted, a person needs about eight hours of sleep to get a good night’s sleep. This figure shows how much sleep an adult needs per day, but how much do people of other ages need for proper rest? The answer to this question was found by scientists who studied the human condition before, during and after sleep. Real sleep standards for each age category voiced by American scientists after lengthy research. They look like this:

  • Newborns need to sleep daily per day at least 14-17 hours.
  • After four months and up to a year The baby will need to organize healthy sleep for 12-15 hours.
  • From one to two years the child must be in a dream around 11-14 o'clock.
  • Up to five years baby should sleep 10-11 o'clock.
  • Schoolboy under 13 years old must spend in sleep 9-11 o'clock.
  • Teenagers up to 17 years old must sleep from 8 to 10 hours.
  • For adults and older people already have enough to sleep 8-9 hours.
  • After 65 years the person will have enough 7-8 hours.

Experts also noticed that children school age can sleep an hour less than the specified time, and this will not harm their health in any way.

Knowing how much sleep not only adults need per day, you can build the right healthy sleep schedule.

Another interesting fact that slightly adjusts how much sleep any person, not just an adult, needs. Per day, turns out, It is allowed to sleep less than indicated in the study, if you follow a sleep cycle.

Sleep throughout the night consists of cycles, each of which is 90 minutes. During this time, a person goes through several phases:

  1. Phase initial falling asleep;
  2. Shallow sleep;
  3. Next period deep sleep;
  4. Then slow sleep;
  5. Last phase REM sleep.

To ensure a complete rest, you should not interrupt the correctness of the cycle. Thus, Sleep duration can be a multiple of 1.5 hours.

Full sleep, which will allow the body to rest and recover, can last 4.5 or 6 hours, 7.5 or 9 hours. This is the answer to the question of many, why a person, having slept for 4.5 hours, gets full sleep, while another, with 7 hours of sleep, can get up completely broken and tired, for example, if he was woken up by an alarm clock.

Rules for healthy sleep

Many have noticed that even if you sleep as much as an adult needs per day, the body can still be overwhelmed and the person feels tired. But this condition is due to improper organization of night time.

There are many factors that influence the quality of time spent sleeping.: quality of bed linen, freshness of indoor air, preparation for bed and much more.

It is also worth noting that a lot depends directly on the time of day at which a person goes to bed.

When to go to bed


It is best to go to bed at least 3 hours before midnight

In the course of ongoing research, scientists were able to answer not only the question of how much sleep an adult needs per day, but also established a certain time when sleep brings the most benefits.

First we should talk about the distribution of sleep during the day. It's better to go to bed long before midnight. At least three hours in advance. The rest of the time should fall on the next day. This statement is due to the influence of the position of the sun. It is at its lowest point at 12 o'clock at night. It is because of this the most best sleep The period from 21:00 to 3:00 or 4:00 is considered. It is established that every hour before midnight is equal to two hours after it.

It has also been proven that most healthy sleep considered rest from Tuesday to Wednesday. In terms of duration, it may not be the longest, but in terms of effectiveness it is the most beneficial. According to scientists, it is at this moment that the human body is completely reanimated after a weekend, during which disturbances appear caused by the influence of fatty foods and alcohol. Also, it is from Tuesday to Wednesday that the biological rhythm is updated, which gets lost on the weekend.

Everyone sleeps on weekends, and for a longer period of time, but the quality is the same the worst dream. At this time, the pressure does not disappear, stress hormones continue their vigorous activity, so the body does not rest at all.

In short, sleep time is very important parameter, which directly affects the quality of life.

How to properly prepare for bed

It has already become clear that the quality of sleep is affected by how much a person sleeps per day and the time at which it is best to sleep. But that is not all. In order not to suffer from insomnia and fall asleep quickly, you should prepare properly for such a period.

Among the basic rules are:

  • First of all you should keep track of your evening meal times. Dinner should be served more than 2 hours before bedtime. But you can’t sleep with a feeling of hunger either. You are allowed to drink a glass of kefir or weak herbal tea.
  • Ready for bed should start half an hour in advance.
  • In addition to hygiene procedures, before going to bed you need to regularly go to the cold and hot shower.
  • It's worth ten minutes ventilate the room.
  • In the room where a person goes to sleep there should be as quiet and dark as possible. If it is not possible to provide such an environment naturally, you can always use privet and a blindfold.
  • You shouldn't watch it right before bed. action films or play games on the computer.
  • No need to go to bed with problems in your head, they must be released until the morning.
  • For complete relaxation you can do shoulder massage or simple exercises.
  • You shouldn't do anything in the bedroom other than sleep and sex. Thanks to this, the room will be associated only with relaxation.

If you organize your preparation for bed as correctly as possible, then in the morning a person will always get up cheerful and cheerful, regardless of how much he slept that day. An adult needs to get used to this regime himself, and, if possible, try to teach all family members to sleep in this way.

Correct position while sleeping


Sleeping on your stomach is not recommended

Also It is important to choose the right sleeping position, which will allow you to relax as much as possible, regardless of how much time an adult will be given to sleep that day.

  • Experts say that you need to spend the night lying on your back, on a fairly hard bed, and preferably without a pillow. Of course, in this position, the face will not come into contact with the pillow, early wrinkles will not appear, and this position is also considered to prevent sclerosis and other diseases. But if you don’t have the habit of sleeping this way, then falling asleep will be quite difficult.

It's easiest to fall asleep on your stomach, but this is the most harmful option. , since the face is pressed against the pillow, pressure occurs on the internal organs, and normal blood circulation changes, especially in the cervical region.

  • Also considered an organic pose is positioning on the side, which allows you to remove painful sensations in the digestive organs, calm down and relax. People who have problems with high blood pressure, you should sleep only on your right side.

As it became clear, the most acceptable position is on the back. But if you can’t fall asleep like this, then you should lie down in a comfortable and familiar position. And only gradually should you move to the correct position.

Which way to sleep with your head

There is an opinion that a person’s location relative to the parts of the world is of great importance during sleep. According to many teachings, best option- means sleeping with your head to the north . To many, such a statement will seem stupid, but yogis think differently.

According to the ancient teachings of Feng Shui, every human body has its own electromagnetic field and is a kind of compass, where the top of the head is north and the feet are south.

To wake up with ease and feel comfortable and happy throughout the day, during sleep you should coordinate your position with the general electromagnetic field of the entire Earth.

How to learn to get up early


To wake up easily in the morning, follow some rules

Many people wonder why they have such difficulty getting up every morning. Indeed, often, even knowing how much sleep an adult needs per day, and observing all the norms, a person wakes up with great difficulty. Many people dream of learning get up early in the morning without unnecessary problems and alarm clock. Here are a few simple tips that will help in solving this problem:

  • First of all in the evening you should set a goal of getting up early . It is very difficult to rise if it is not there or if it is insignificant. Often people set themselves a goal - a morning run. It is useful for strengthening the body and maintaining the body in good physical condition.
  • More is needed in the evening take care of as much as possible convenient conditions awakening : temperature regime, favorite coffee, comfortable clothes, cooked breakfast.
  • Try go to bed early , A spend the day as actively and interestingly as possible .
  • Alarm clock with a secret. If you place an alarm clock near your bed, it is very easy to turn it off when you wake up and continue to sleep. If you place it further away from the bed, then after you turn it off you won’t feel like going back to bed.
  • Ask your friends to call morning hours or to wake up your loved ones .
  • Don't eat dinner right before bed, since when full stomach the night will be restless, and you won’t be able to get enough sleep. And getting up in the morning will be much more difficult.
  • You should set aside some time during the day to nap (no more than 40 minutes) to combat the urge to sleep after waking up early.
  • Don't watch movies or play games before going to bed.
  • To get up in the morning with ease, you should follow the regime and do not deviate from it on weekends .

There are, of course, the most radical options for solving the issue of getting up early. Modern programmers have come up with a radical way. You can install a special program that specified time will begin formatting. Stop the process that will destroy everything important information, is only possible when entering certain data. But you just don’t want to sleep anymore.

Sleeping without clothes – minimum shame, maximum benefit


Sleeping naked is actually very beneficial

The modern textile industry produces thousands various options pajamas and nightgowns. Some people like extravagant clothes, others prefer traditional styles. But few people know that the most beneficial thing is to sleep without clothes. Why? There are many reasons for this.

  • Improving quality of life

Often, before going to bed, a person is in a state of stress - hard work, difficult relationships, etc. Sleep does not come immediately, insomnia takes away precious hours of the night, and in the morning - a feeling of weakness and fatigue, decreased concentration. You just need to take off absolutely all your clothes and cover yourself with a light blanket. Sleeping without clothes makes it much easier to fall asleep, your head is free of thoughts, and waking up will be pleasant and easy.

  • Normalization of hormone production

Natural body temperature is achieved with complete nudity. This in a positive way affects hormonal levels. The level of cortisol, the “stress hormone,” immediately decreases. The production of melatonin and somatropin returns to normal, which entails rejuvenation of the body. And if a person sleeps with a sexual partner, then when their bodies touch, oxytocin will be released - the “passion hormone”, which makes sex life more harmonious and bright.

  • Improved blood supply

The presence of clothing impedes proper blood circulation through the vessels , which over time leads to abdominal pain and insomnia. Getting rid of pajamas completely can improve blood circulation internal organs, which will have a positive impact on the well-being of any person.


Strong tea, coffee, alcohol and cigarettes at night not only have a bad effect on the body, but also disrupt sleep

Fully naked air access to the skin is maximum . Thereby cell regeneration occurs much faster . And the efficiency of the sebaceous glands increases many times, but the secretion of sebum is directly related to skin renewal. Ultimately, all this has a positive impact on general exchange substances in the body.

  • Genital protection

During sleep, a woman's genitals secrete a large number of moisture, which can, at a minimum, cause discomfort if it gets on underwear, and at a maximum, provoke infection into the body. Lack of clothes opens up the air full access V intimate area, What in its turn reduces the amount of moisture released and eliminates discomfort .


Children should sleep longer at night than adults

Don't force yourself to take off your clothes before going to bed. It is better to do this gradually, in several stages, and discard all doubts and embarrassment, because human health is the most important factor happy life!

In conclusion, I would like to note that by observing these simple recommendations, which relate to how much sleep an adult needs per day, you can not only get enough sleep at night and get up with ease, but also improve your health.

Have a nice sleep.

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All people love to sleep. This process brings not only pleasure, but also helps to restore physical and moral loss of strength. Lack of sleep is one of the reasons for frequent illness and rapid wear and tear of the body.

Science has proven that people who do not get enough sleep regularly are unable to think adequately. This common reaction body due to lack of rest. The completeness of sleep is indicated by the number of hours and time of day. Perhaps it’s high time for you to pay attention to your daily routine for the sake of your health?

Sleep phases

The value of sleep is determined by the time spent on it. There are several stages:

  • Stage 1 - state of half-asleep;
  • Stage 2 lasts the first 30 minutes and is characterized by light sleep;
  • Stage 3 - beginning of slow-wave sleep;
  • Stage 4 - deep dream, during which a person dreams.

One full cycle lasts about one and a half hours. Five complete cycles are considered sufficient for full recovery body. Getting enough sleep is extremely important for human health.

Hormones

During sleep, such important hormones, How:

  • melatonin or “sleep hormone”, which takes part in the synchronization of biorhythms and is involved in the formation of hormonal and immune system body;
  • growth hormone, responsible for the rejuvenating and restorative effect, growth of bones and tissues;
  • sex hormones that affect appearance a person, his character, sensitivity and intelligence, sexual and life activity;
  • leptin (satiety hormone) and ghrelin (hunger hormone), actively involved in energy metabolic processes body;
  • hormones thyroid gland, enhancing the respiratory activity of cells, stimulating tissue growth and brain development.

Their production is necessary for the regeneration of all body systems and takes a certain time. Thus, the start time of melatonin secretion is approximately 20 hours, the peak occurs in the dead of night from 00 to 4.00 in the morning.

The production of growth hormone is associated with the moment of immersion in sleep, the maximum concentration is achieved in the first 2 hours in the slow-wave sleep phase.

Thus, by not getting enough sleep and not adhering to a sleep schedule, you are committing a crime against your body, which leads to disruption of vital biochemical processes. Sooner or later this will negatively affect your health and psycho-emotional state.

Valuable hours of rest

A healthy person needs 12-14 hours to regain strength in a day. You don't have to sleep 12 hours a day. Knowing the value of every hour of sleep, you can plan your rest and restore lost strength in an hour or two.

The sleep value chart will help you properly allocate your rest time to get enough sleep.

Clock for sleep Value
19.00 - 20.00 7 o'clock
20.00 - 21.00 6 hours
21.00 - 22.00 5 o'clock
22.00 - 23.00 4 hours
23.00 - 24.00 3 hours
0.00 - 1.00 2 hours
1.00 - 2.00 1 hour
2.00 - 3.00 30 minutes
3.00 - 4.00 15 minutes
4.00 - 5.00 7 minutes
5.00 - 6.00 1 minute

Clarifying the value of sleep by the hour, the table makes it clear that if you fall asleep at 22:00 and wake up at 5:00, the body will gain 10 hours and 52 minutes of rest. This maximum amount time, despite the fact that adults need 7-9 hours of sleep.

Best time

Each person needs a different number of hours to sleep. However, experts are confident that the total duration of sleep should be at least 10 hours. The most useful time for sleep - the period until midnight, because that’s when it happens active recovery our cells.

Sleeping hours from 22.00 to 0.00 - regeneration time nervous system. This is why people who go to bed after midnight are extremely nervous and need to rest during the day.

Esotericists are convinced that waking up at 3-4 am is easy, and this ability can be developed. The period from 4 to 5 am is the time of sunrise, the birth of a new day. Morning time from 5 to 6 o'clock it is marked by calmness, and from 6 to 7 am by vigor.

Using these studies, you can choose best time for sleep, save time and fully recover for new victories.

The benefits of siesta

All children of preschool and primary school age sleep during the day - this is known fact. Even a short break gives new strength, restores performance and increases concentration by at least 50-60%. Many people feel the urge to take a nap at lunchtime. This is due to the fact that during this period a person feels a loss of strength.

Scientists call the daytime nap a siesta. Its benefits have been known for a long time. In Japan, many European countries and the States, organizations have introduced a daytime sleep break into the working regime. So, in German city Fechta municipal employees are allowed to pokemar for 20 minutes a day when needed. This helped save money on additional staff by increasing the productivity of already hired specialists.

Researchers from the United States have found that napping during the day is beneficial for good visual concentration. The vision reaction during the day is 10 milliseconds, and in the evening it is already 40. If a person sleeps a little at lunchtime, then by the evening the speed will remain equal to 10, i.e. just as quickly as in the morning.

How much sleep during the day

When you find time to take a nap, remember to sleep no longer than half an hour. Long daytime naps cause headache and provokes irritability. Some researchers dispute this statement and are convinced that a daytime nap lasting 1-1.5 hours contributes to better assimilation and processing of information after waking up.

And yet, the vast majority of experiments indicate that sleeping a lot during the day is harmful. Long, deep daytime sleep disrupts the biological clock. The person will be completely asleep and will confuse day with night, perhaps never fully awakening before dark. This reduces work efficiency to zero.

Benefit nap, is undoubtedly high, but its duration is individual. You may feel energized after just 10 minutes of napping, or after 30, 40, or 90 minutes. But the shorter the siesta, the easier it will be for you to wake up and get back to work.

Let's summarize what exactly naps do:

  • stress relief;
  • psychological relief;
  • rapid energy recovery;
  • prevents spiritual exhaustion and stress;
  • reduces total daily sleep time;
  • increases performance.

You should remember that you should not go to bed after 17.00. This is the period of the beginning of sunset, during which there is a strong outflow of energy. Sleeping after 17.00 will give worse results than before. Even if you feel exhausted after 16.30, it is better to endure and go to bed at the right time.

Sleep is a vital necessity for humans. You can do without it for only a short time; after 5 days without sleep, irreversible processes are launched in the body, which as a result can lead to death.

So how much sleep does an adult need per day to always be in good shape?

A dream or a third of life

Babies sleep up to 20 hours a day. With age, the need for sleep gradually decreases and reaches an average of 7 - 8 hours every 24 hours. But this amount is about a third of a day! This means that people spend about a third of their entire lives sleeping.


Sleep is a great cure for many well-being problems

And this is not a waste of time:

  • in sleep, the body rests, strength is restored, tension is relieved;
  • the brain “processes” all the information from the past day, and it is in a dream that the material being studied is memorized;
  • in this state the processes of healing the body from viral and colds, immunity is strengthened;
  • a person adapts to the change of day and night.

Important fact! Night rest It gives not only relaxation and health.

Sleep preserves beauty and youth for those who monitor compliance with sleep and wakefulness

Knowing the benefits of sleep and how much sleep a child and an adult need per day, it becomes clear that people need to try to do everything to make this time pass as efficiently and comfortably as possible.

What destroys healthy sleep

First, information about what negatively affects sleep:

  • Disruption of the natural rhythm of sleep caused by nature. Such violations include, for example, night shifts, when a person is forced to work at night and rest during the day.
  • Disturbance in sleep duration.

Lack of sleep manifests itself as lethargy, irritability, increased anxiety, decreased attention and concentration, increased incidence of diseases (colds, acute respiratory infections, etc.) and even weight gain.


Insomnia can become a problem, as fatigue and depression the next day are already guaranteed

If you sleep more than necessary, you also feel lethargic, weak, you may have a headache, and it becomes difficult to concentrate.

  • Violation of the temperature regime also negatively affects the quality of night's rest.
  • An uncomfortable mattress or pillow can impair circulation, which can make sleep less rewarding.
  • Bright light, extraneous sounds will not allow a person to get enough sleep, as a result of which all the signs of lack of sleep will appear.
  • Eating a large meal shortly before bedtime will cause the stomach to work at night, which will prevent the body from getting quality rest.

How much sleep should a person sleep?

How much sleep a person needs per day depends on a number of indicators: age (child, adult or elderly), gender, degree of fatigue, and so on. As mentioned above, adults require an average of 8 hours of sleep per day. But for different age categories necessary different time.


In children, especially small ones, sleep duration reaches 12 hours

Based on research results, scientists have concluded that sleep standards for each age are as follows:

  • Newborns up to 4 months sleep on average 17 hours or more;
  • Infants aged 4 months to 1 year sleep approximately 12 – 15 hours of sleep;
  • in children of the second year of life, sleep ranges from 11 to 14 hours;
  • from 2 to 5 years – at least 10 – 11 hours;
  • Children under 13 years old should sleep from 9 to 11 hours;
  • for adolescents under 17 years old – from 8 to 10 hours;
  • adults require 8 - 9 hours of night rest;
  • older people (over 65 years old) sleep 7-8 hours.

Note! In old people, the natural rhythm of sleep changes, periods of sleep and dozing become shorter, but more often the duration of night rest decreases, and the need arises to take a nap during the day.


At any age, a nap during the day will not hurt if there is a need for rest.

The information in this section about how long a person sleeps can help you create a healthy sleep schedule. It is often difficult for an adult to schedule his daily activities in such a way that he can allocate as much time for proper rest as he needs to sleep at his age. However, this is something to strive for.

When to go to bed: time intervals during which the body rests more

There is no doubt that going to bed and falling asleep are very important for a good night's rest. Only adherence to the regime can bring the most tangible results.

You need to go to bed before 24 hours, even better - at 22 hours

At this time, the number of leukocytes in the human body increases and body temperature decreases. The body gives the command - it’s time to go to bed. This is expressed in drowsiness: brain activity decreases, the person begins to yawn, sensitivity decreases sensory systems, there is a burning sensation in the eyes, the eyelids stick together.


You need to learn to go to bed at 22:00

If you ignore these signals from the body, then you are unlikely to feel good in the morning - the body will not be able to fully experience all the positive effects of sleep. The morning will be late, and the state will be broken.

It is believed that sleep is most beneficial between 10 pm and 2 am.. Regardless of the circumstances, during these hours a person needs to be in bed and sleep, because the processes occurring in the body at this time cannot be started at another time. As a result, both physical and mental condition person.

Basic rules for healthy sleep

For the right approach To organize a sleep schedule, information about how much sleep an adult needs per day is not enough.

Other factors also play a role.

  • Daily regime. Healthy, sound sleep presupposes fairly strict adherence to the daily routine - going to bed and getting up at the appointed time, which means that the amount of time allotted for sleep will be constant. This rule also applies to weekends - on Saturdays and Sundays you also need to follow the daily routine.
  • There is no need to stay in bed after waking up. You should prepare yourself for the fact that immediately after awakening there is a rise. Lying for a long time can result in falling asleep again, and, as you know, extra sleep will not bring any benefit.

You should not lie in bed for a long time; continuing to sleep may be unnecessary
  • Ritual before bed. About an hour before bedtime, you should indulge in some quiet activity. It is best to perform certain actions every night before going to bed that, over time, will begin to be associated with sleep, for example, you can do a short walk or read a book at night. Any situation that causes excitement should be avoided.
  • Avoid daytime naps if you have trouble falling asleep.
  • Remove the computer and TV from the bedroom. The time spent here should only be spent sleeping and having sex.
  • Don't eat before bed. The break between dinner and night rest should be at least 2 hours, even better if it is 4 hours. If hunger is very strong, then you can eat something light, for example, an apple or drink kefir.

  • Relaxing treatments will help you fall asleep easier and have better rest.
  • Moderate physical exercise while awake will also allow you to fall asleep and sleep faster.
  • It is not recommended to drink in the evening alcoholic drinks or coffee, smoking cigarettes. These are not the most good habits have a bad effect on sleep and the health of the human body as a whole.

How to get ready for bed

Having determined how much sleep an adult needs per day, you should decide how to do it correctly.

The organization of the process of falling asleep must be taken seriously; it is important to begin preparation in advance.

  • You should not eat at night; dinner is best planned 4 hours before bedtime, at exceptional cases- in 2 hours. If after dinner the feeling of hunger appears again, then you should not eat, you are only allowed to drink a cup herbal tea with honey or a glass of kefir.
  • In addition to the usual hygiene procedures, a contrast shower is recommended at night, which will help reduce the tension that has accumulated during the day.

Cold and hot shower- the best start to the day
  • Before going to bed, it is not recommended to watch TV, especially movies and shows that cause anxiety, and you should not sit at the computer. About an hour before bedtime, you should give up these entertainments.
  • Before going to bed, it is useful to ventilate the bedroom, which will help you fall asleep easily and have a good night's sleep, Fresh air Generally good for health.
  • For healthy, sound sleep, it is important that the room is sufficiently dark and quiet; if these conditions are difficult to achieve, you can use earplugs and special night glasses.
  • A relaxing massage, which you can do yourself, will help make it easier to fall asleep and make your sleep more restful and sound.
  • Sleeping best and healthiest is without clothes, so you should get into the habit of sleeping naked.
  • You should go to bed at calm state, for this you need to complete all the tasks planned for the day, let go of all problems, at least until the morning.

Eating before bed

It was already mentioned above how many hours before going to bed an adult should have dinner, but it is equally important to correctly distribute the diet throughout the day and prepare the right foods for the evening meal.

Firstly, you should forget about strict restrictions on food intake after 18 hours - Going to bed hungry is bad for both health and good sleep. This means that in matters of nutrition you should adhere to the “golden mean” - do not overeat and do not starve.


Great option for a light dinner: fish and seafood with vegetables

Secondly, for dinner it is best to eat light foods that do not cause heaviness and discomfort in the stomach. Will fit well protein products, especially if they contain casein, which takes longer to digest than other proteins. For the last meal of the day, fish, chicken, eggs, cottage cheese, seafood, vegetable salad, etc. are suitable.

It’s worth giving up in the evening following products: flour and sweets, pork, nuts, potatoes, any cereals and pasta.

There is an opinion that it is most beneficial to sleep with your head facing north. Is it so?

Unambiguous scientific opinion no on this matter, but such a statement is supported by one of the Chinese teachings of Feng Shui, which is very popular all over the world. The benefit is explained by the fact that the electromagnetic field of each person is like a compass, in which the head is north and the legs are south.


According to Feng Shui rules, the head should be directed towards the north and the legs should be directed towards the south.

Consequently, if the electromagnetic field of the body coincides with the same field of the planet, then the person is filled with strength and energy, he is happy, his sleep is strong and healthy, and awakening is easy.

How to learn to wake up early

There is a lot to be said about the benefits of getting up early. The most important thing is the opportunity to do more things, because early morning The human body has a high performance capacity.

At first you need to decide how many hours of sleep per day is best to a specific person (adults most likely know their norm) and when to get up in the morning. The time at which you need to go to bed in order to get enough sleep will depend on these data.


Classic problem: hard to fall asleep in the evening - hard to wake up in the morning

So, your sleep schedule is set, now it's time to think about what goals will get you out of bed early in the morning. Businessmen can do this by knowing how much business value can be done during the morning hours. People paying increased attention their health, they can spend the free time on sports. Everyone must determine why they need to get up early.

Rise Ritual

The following points can be highlighted:

  • To make it easier to get out of bed, you need to create conditions in the house under which getting up will be comfortable. For this, the temperature regime in the room is important: in a stuffy room it will be difficult to wake up, and in a cold room it will be difficult to force yourself to leave a warm bed.
  • For those who cannot get out of bed in the early hours on their own in the morning, many devices have been invented, the simplest of which is an alarm clock. But it must be at such a distance that it is necessary to reach it.

Modern technologies have gone much further - the latest innovations include a bed that resets its owner if he does not get up on time, and a computer program that begins to format HDD, unless you enter a rather long password.


A modern alarm clock will force the owner to hit the target, otherwise it will continue to ring
  • Some people may prefer the idea of ​​waking up with the help of family or friends. To do this, you should agree with them in advance about phone call V right time, unless, of course, they themselves are sleeping at such an early hour.
  • Immediately after getting up, you can, for example, take a shower and then drink hot coffee. If certain actions become daily ritual, getting up early will be easier.
  • The rise time should not change.
  • You can come up with an individual system of rewards and penalties for successful and unsuccessful getting up in the morning. For example, during a week of getting up without delays, you can treat yourself to a trip to a cafe, and punish yourself for problems with an extra 5 km on the treadmill.

Formation of new habits occurs within about 2 weeks

After this time, you will not need to make any effort to follow the advice.

Sleep is a third of every person’s life; the quality of life, health and mood, the amount of energy and the ability to concentrate on important things depend on its quality. Therefore, it is so important to know how much sleep an adult needs per day in order to remain all cheerful day.

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