As you rush around trying to fit an ever-increasing amount into your daily life it seems that the only way to manage to get everything done is to sleep less. But unfortunately stealing sleep hours is not something you can afford to do. Studies have shown that between 7 to 8 hours of sleep is vital for adults and any less reduces alertness and performance of everyday tasks considerably.

While sleeping the body and brain does not just shut off, the brain stays busy, overseeing a wide variety of biological maintenance tasks that keep us performing at peak condition, preparing us for the day ahead. Without enough hours of restorative sleep, you will simply be unable to do anything to your full potential. Studies have shown that just losing ninety minutes of sleep a night reduces our alertness levels the next day by up to a third. In addition regular loss of sleep will eventually lead to a major mental and physical breakdown. Sleep is a necessity not just a luxury, so just how much sleep should you be getting?.

Sleep requirements do differ slightly from person to person, with adults needing  on average between 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night to function at their best. In addition it is not true that as we age we need less sleep, older people still need at least 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep a day, a lot of which is got from naps during the day. Here is a guideline for average daily sleep requirements throughout life:

Adults 18+:   7 to 8 hours

Teens and preteens 12 to 18 years:  8.5 to 10 hours

Children 5 to 12 years : 10 to 11 hours

Children 3 to 5  years:  11 to 13 hours

Toddlers 1 to 3 years : 12 to 14 hours

Infants 3 months to 2 years:  14 to 15 hours

Babies 0 to 2 months: 12 to 18 hours  

Of course it is not just the number of hours in bed that is important, but it is the quality of those hours of sleep. If you're giving yourself plenty of time for sleep, but you're still having trouble waking up in the morning or staying alert all day, you may not be getting enough good sleep and may still finish up tired all day.

If you always need the alarm to wake up, use the snooze button, fall asleep in the afternoon or in front of the television of an evening and generally never feel you have enough energy then the chances are you are not getting enough sleep. Study your sleep habits , writing a sleep diary  may be helpful, make time for sleep and you will find that you achieve much more during your waking hours, which in turn will give you more time for good quality sleep.