Video: How much sleep do you actually need?
How little is too little? And how much is too much?
A select number of people in the world seem to manage with just a few hours of sleep a night. Called the “sleepless elite” or “short sleepers”, they appear to possess a superpower that allows them to get through the day very well despite late nights.
Note that this is a really small number, while the rest of us mortals still need at least seven hours of sleep.
A new video shows that scientists are locked in a dispute over whether this sleepless elite is really healthy. After all, as America’s National Sleep Foundation suggests, adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep, while teenagers need a little more. And babies have the best deal at 14-17 hours in order to maintain optimal health.
How much is right for adults, then? Definitely not less than six hours, but not more than ten, either. The alternative might be greater risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. How much sleep are you getting every day?