How much sleep do we need?

The amount of sleep required varies between each person and depends on age and circumstance. For instance, in the first few months of pregnancy, women require more sleep then usual, and when we are sick with the flu we spend more time resting and sleeping. 

An approximate guideline is:
Babies – 15 hours
Primary school children - 9 to 10 hours
Teenagers - 9 to 10 hours
Adults – 7-9
Aged – 7-8 hours; however, sleep becomes lighter and in shorter spurts as you age. 11

When you don’t get sufficient sleep, a sleep debt begins to build up. This leads to increased fatigue12. Eventually, you have to repay that debt, and the only way is by sleeping. Microsleeps are a good indication that you are sleep deprived.  Microsleeps are brief episodes of sleep, involving blank stares, head snapping or prolonged eye closure. These usually occur before dawn or mid afternoon and can compromise your safety if driving or at work. 13