How Much Sleep Do Adults Need? What the Consensus Statements Say

Health agencies and expert panels give adults a range of hours, and the numbers are not identical from one source to the next. This guide sets out what the CDC, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and two expert panels recommend, why “7 or more” and “7 to 9” both appear, and what the recommendations rest on.

It is not medical advice. If you think you sleep too much or too little, or sleep trouble is persistent, talk to a healthcare provider.

The Short Answer

For most adults the sources we read say 7 hours or more. The CDC lists “7 or more hours” for ages 18 to 60. The National Sleep Foundation panel and NHLBI give 7 to 9 hours for adults.
For adults over 60 the ranges narrow. The CDC lists 7 to 9 hours for ages 61 to 64 and 7 to 8 hours for 65 and older. The National Sleep Foundation panel recommends 7 to 8 hours for older adults.
Less than 7 hours is flagged. NHLBI says adults who sleep less than 7 hours a night may have more health issues than those who sleep 7 or more.
More than 9 hours is not automatically a problem. NHLBI says it is not necessarily harmful and may be helpful for young adults, people recovering from sleep deprivation, and people who are sick.
These are consensus recommendations. The AASM and SRS statement and the National Sleep Foundation’s used expert panels and the RAND method, which includes a formal voting process.

Age group	Age	CDC, recommended sleep per day
Newborn	0 to 3 months	14 to 17 hours
Infant	4 to 12 months	12 to 16 hours, including naps
Toddler	1 to 2 years	11 to 14 hours, including naps
Preschool	3 to 5 years	10 to 13 hours, including naps
School age	6 to 12 years	9 to 12 hours
Teen	13 to 17 years	8 to 10 hours
Adult	18 to 60 years	7 or more hours
Adult	61 to 64 years	7 to 9 hours
Adult	65 years and older	7 to 8 hours

The table is from the CDC’s page on sleep, reviewed in November 2023 (CDC, About Sleep). The CDC cites three consensus documents for it: the National Sleep Foundation’s recommendations (2015), an American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) statement for children (2016), and a joint AASM and Sleep Research Society (SRS) statement for healthy adults (2015). Its “7 or more hours” for ages 18 to 60 is attributed to the AASM and SRS statement.

Why Some Numbers Differ

The two adult panels. The AASM and SRS statement uses a modified RAND Appropriateness Method process to recommend the amount of sleep adults need to promote optimal health (Watson et al., 2015). A companion paper describes its methodology, background literature, voting process and results, and outlines future directions that will advance understanding of sleep need and place sleep duration in the broader context of sleep health (Consensus Conference Panel, 2015). The National Sleep Foundation convened a multidisciplinary expert panel that held a formal consensus and voting process and used the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method for nine age groups. It labeled duration ranges as recommended, may be appropriate or not recommended. The figures in this guide are its recommended ranges: 7 to 9 hours for young adults and adults and 7 to 8 hours for older adults (Hirshkowitz et al., 2015). The abstract does not give the “may be appropriate” ranges.

Small differences between sources. For infants and school-aged children, the National Sleep Foundation panel’s recommended ranges (12 to 15 hours and 9 to 11 hours) end an hour lower than the CDC’s (12 to 16 and 9 to 12). NHLBI groups teens as 13 to 18 where the CDC uses 13 to 17, and it says sleep patterns in newborns younger than 4 months vary widely, where the CDC lists 14 to 17 hours for the first three months (NHLBI, how much sleep is enough). Each source states its own range, and we did not look into why they differ.

“7 or more” and “7 to 9”. The CDC’s adult range for ages 18 to 60 has no upper limit, while NHLBI and the National Sleep Foundation panel give an upper number of 9. NHLBI adds that sleeping more than 9 hours a night is not necessarily harmful and may be helpful for young adults, people recovering from sleep deprivation, and people who are sick.

Hours Are Not the Whole Story

The CDC says getting quality sleep is not just about how many hours you sleep, but how well you sleep. Quality sleep means uninterrupted and refreshing sleep. Signs of poor sleep quality, it says, include trouble falling asleep, repeatedly waking up during the night, and feeling sleepy or tired even after getting enough sleep. It advises talking to your healthcare provider if you regularly have problems sleeping. Habits it lists include going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, keeping the bedroom quiet, relaxing and at a cool temperature, turning off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime, avoiding large meals and alcohol before bedtime, and avoiding caffeine in the afternoon or evening (CDC, About Sleep).

NHLBI also says to talk to your doctor or your child’s doctor if you think you or your child is sleeping too much or too little.

What Is Uncertain

How much any one person needs. The recommendations are for groups, and they are ranges.
What the consensus rests on. We read only the abstracts of the three consensus papers, which describe panel processes. We did not review the underlying studies that link sleep duration to health outcomes.
Why sources differ. We can report that the ranges are not identical, and we cannot say which panel is “right”.
Whether the pages have changed. The CDC page was reviewed in November 2023, and the NHLBI pages we read show a last-updated date of March 2022.

Questions

How many hours of sleep do adults need?

The CDC says 7 or more hours for ages 18 to 60, and NHLBI and the National Sleep Foundation panel say 7 to 9 hours. Older adults are given 7 to 8 hours by the CDC (65 and older) and by the National Sleep Foundation panel.

Is 6 hours of sleep enough?

The sources we read recommend 7 or more hours for adults. NHLBI says adults who sleep less than 7 hours a night may have more health issues than those who sleep 7 or more. That is a statement about groups, and it does not tell you what your own need is.

Is 9 hours too much?

NHLBI says that sleeping more than 9 hours a night is not necessarily harmful, and may be helpful for young adults, people recovering from sleep deprivation and people who are sick. It also says to talk to your doctor if you think you are sleeping too much or too little.

How much sleep do teens and children need?

The CDC lists 8 to 10 hours for ages 13 to 17 and 9 to 12 hours for ages 6 to 12, with higher ranges for younger children. For ages 4 months to 5 years the CDC’s figures include naps.

Sources Cited in This Guide

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “About Sleep.” Published May 15, 2024; reviewed November 20, 2023. Read September 20, 2026. CDC
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH. “How Sleep Works: How Much Sleep Is Enough?” Last updated March 24, 2022. Read September 20, 2026. NHLBI
Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, et al. “Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: A Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society.” Sleep. 2015. Read September 20, 2026 (abstract). PMID 26039963
Consensus Conference Panel, Watson NF, Badr MS, et al. “Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society on the Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: Methodology and Discussion.” J Clin Sleep Med. 2015. Read September 20, 2026 (abstract). PMID 26235159
Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, et al. “National Sleep Foundation’s updated sleep duration recommendations: final report.” Sleep Health. 2015. Read September 20, 2026 (abstract). PMID 29073398

This guide is for information and is not medical advice. Talk to a healthcare provider about medication, pregnancy, medical conditions and persistent sleep problems.