It’s funny how we used to dread naptime in our pre-school days, but now as collegiettes, we long for the freedom to take a mid-day snooze. Sleep deprivation is no stranger to any college student, so it’s no surprise that we’re almost always tired. Many of us probably know how many hours we need personally in order to survive the following day, but how many is optimal for young adults our age?
After extensive research and studies, the National Sleep Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board adjusted its sleep parameter recommendations for each age group and has now put young adults aged 18 to 25 in a new category. It may not come as a surprise, but the suggested hours of sleep decreases with increasing age. Can you guess how many hours of sleep a young adult needs?
If you said 7 to 9 hours, you guessed right. This is just the recommended amount, so of course there are exceptions and people who biologically need more or less hours. For those who are actually getting the suggested amount of sleep for their age group, but are still feeling extremely groggy throughout the day, you may want to see a health professional because that can be a sign of a sleep condition.
To see if an hour or two of sleep within your age group’s parameter makes any difference, NSF chair Dr. Max Hirshkowitz advises experimenting with different amounts of sleep and comparing how you feel the following day. Who knows, maybe realizing how energized you feel after an extra hour of sleep will make you want to get your homework done earlier… the key word being maybe.