How much sleep do you actually need?

Most adults do best on seven to nine hours a night. That range is wide on purpose: some people wake rested after seven, others need the full nine, and both are normal. What matters more than the exact number is whether you wake feeling restored, and whether your sleep keeps a steady rhythm through the week.

Signs you are not getting enough

• You need an alarm every morning and hit snooze more than once.

• You fall asleep within a few minutes of lying down, every night.

• You sleep two or more hours longer on weekends than on weekdays.

• Your concentration dips sharply in the early afternoon.

One of these on its own is common. Several together, most weeks, usually means a sleep debt that is worth paying back.

What helps

Keep the same wake-up time seven days a week, even after a late night. A fixed morning anchors your body clock far better than a fixed bedtime. Get daylight within an hour of waking, keep caffeine to the morning, and give yourself half an hour without screens before bed.

The single most useful change is the boring one: get up at the same time every day.

When to see someone

Talk to a physician if you snore loudly and wake unrefreshed, if you stop breathing in your sleep (a partner will usually notice), or if you have struggled to fall or stay asleep for more than three months. Sleep apnea and chronic insomnia are both common and both treatable, and our sleep studies at Hudson Yards can usually be booked within the week.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you are worried about your sleep, book a visit with primary care to start.