Sleep - Need

Sleep - Need

Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care. The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath. Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, Chief nourisher in life's feast - William Shakespeare, Macbeth

The sleep-need is individualistic. During infancy and adolescence, there is an increase in sleep- need, brought on, perhaps, by developmental changes. For infants the need is 14-15hrs and for school-age children it is 10-11hrs.

The average need for adults is 7-8 hrs, but the requirements vary. Few people feel fine with as little as 5hrs of sleep while others require more than 10hrs to feel refreshed and alert. The amount of sleep that one needs is that optimum amount which allows one to function throughout the day without feeling drowsy, even under conditions that promote sleep.

Reference:

1. Huxley, Aldous. In Coren S. Sleep Thieves: An Eye-Opening Exploration into the Science and Mysteries of Sleep. New York: The Free Press; 1996, p. 175.