Sleep needs

By Metro Creative

Adults know much about their health changes as they grow older, but health experts note that sleep requirements generally remain the same throughout adulthood.

According to the National Institute on Aging, older adults need roughly the same amount of sleep as all adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that the recommended amount of sleep for adults is at least seven hours each day, and various organizations recommend adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. Those recommendations can promote optimal health into one’s golden years, but that advice is not being heeded by a significant portion of the adult population.

The CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) tracked the sleeping habits of men and women between 2013 and 2022 and ultimately found that 37.5% of men and 36% of women were not getting enough sleep during that time period.

The percentage of individuals not getting enough sleep was particularly high among adults between the ages of 39 and 64, among whom nearly four in 10 were falling short of the recommended daily amount of sleep.

— Metro Creative