{"id":23847,"date":"2021-03-25T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=23847"},"modified":"2026-03-27T15:53:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T19:53:57","slug":"sleep-statistics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/news\/sleep-statistics\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleep statistics: The latest data on how much we sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"

Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your health. During sleep, the body can rest and recover for a new day. Not getting enough sleep because of a sleep disorder can negatively impact your health, happiness, and longevity. Let\u2019s look at recent sleep statistics to better understand sleep disorders and how they affect overall health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How much sleep should you get?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Not getting enough sleep can be bad for your physical and mental health and cause some unwelcome symptoms, such as a lack of energy, trouble remembering things, a reduced attention span, slowed thinking, a reduced sex drive, poor decision-making, irritability, daytime sleepiness, and other mood changes.<\/span><\/p>\n

The exact amount of sleep you need will depend on age, but children generally need more sleep than adults to support their growth and development. Below is a helpful guide from the <\/span>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/span><\/a> (CDC) on the recommended amount of sleep that someone should get based on their age.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Sleep requirements by age<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

Age\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\nHours of sleep needed<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
0\u20133 months\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n14\u201317<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4\u201311 months\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n12\u201316<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1\u20132 years\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n11\u201314\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3\u20135 years\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n10\u201313\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6\u201312 years\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n9\u201312<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
13\u201317 years\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n8\u201310<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
18\u201360 years\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n7+<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
61\u201364 years\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n7\u20139<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
65+<\/b><\/td>\n7\u20138<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

What is a sleep disorder?<\/h2>\n

Not getting good sleep regularly may be a sign that you have a sleep disorder. A sleep disorder is a condition that causes chronic sleep deprivation and negatively impacts a person\u2019s quality of life. \u201cSleep disorders are a group of conditions that are characterized by either poor quality or quantity of sleep,\u201d says <\/span>Abhinav Singh<\/span><\/a>, MD, the medical director of the Indiana Sleep Center. \u201cIn some instances, this can include poor quality of wakefulness that interferes with optimal daytime functioning.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A healthcare professional can diagnose someone with a sleep disorder if they have certain symptoms, such as difficulty sleeping at night and excessive sleepiness in the daytime. \u201cAfter a thorough clinical evaluation by your physician, which typically involves a detailed history of presenting complaints, sleep logs, and possibly sleep studies, the diagnosis can be generally obtained,\u201d Dr. Singh says. There are seven categories of sleep disorders listed in the third edition of the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD-3):\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Insomnia<\/b>, which means trouble falling or staying asleep<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Sleep-related breathing disorders<\/b>, such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnea<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Central disorders of hypersomnolence<\/b>, such as <\/span>narcolepsy<\/span><\/a> and idiopathic hypersomnia<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders<\/b>, including jet lag and delayed sleep-wake phase disorder<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Parasomnias<\/b>, such as sleepwalking, rapid eye movement (REM) behavior disorder, and sleep paralysis<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Sleep-related movement disorders<\/b>, like <\/span>restless legs syndrome<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Other sleep disorders<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    How does lack of sleep affect the brain?<\/span><\/h2>\n