Must people get 8 hours of sleep a day? According to a survey by the American Cancer Society, people who sleep an average of 7 to 8 hours a night have the longest life expectancy, while 80% of those who sleep less than 4 hours a night have a short life expectancy. But Guo Ruoxiheng, director of the Sleep and Respiratory Disease Center at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, also pointed out that the best sleep time is different for different age groups, and you should sleep scientifically according to your age. Older people over 60 years old: 5.5 to 7 hours of sleep per day Older people should go to bed before 12 o’clock every night, and 7 hours of sleep at night, or even 5.5 hours is enough. Data published by the Alzheimer’s Association shows that seniors who limit their sleep to 7 hours or less each night can delay brain aging by 2 years. And long-term sleep beyond 7 hours or sleep deprivation can lead to poor concentration and even dementia, increasing the risk of early death. Suggestions: The most common sleep problems in the elderly are excessive dreaming and insomnia. Dreaminess is due to the degeneration of brain function in the elderly; insomnia is due to a decrease in melatonin secretion, which is one of the most important factors in determining sleep in the body. Guo Ruoxiheng suggests that seniors with poor sleep quality at night should take a lunch break for no more than one hour. Otherwise, the central nerve of the brain will deepen the inhibition, prompting a relative reduction in blood flow in the brain and slowing down the metabolism in the body, which can easily lead to discomfort around the body after waking up, and even more sleepy. Adults between 30 and 60 years old: sleep about 7 hours a day Adult men need 6.49 hours of sleep, women need about 7.5 hours, and should ensure that the “quality sleep time” from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am. Because people at this time is easy to reach a deep sleep state, help relieve fatigue. A 22-year follow-up study of 21,000 adults in Finland found that men who slept less than 7 hours were 26% more likely to die than men who slept 7-8 hours, and women were 21% more likely to die; men who slept more than 8 hours were 24% more likely to die than men who slept 7-8 hours, and women were 17% more likely to die. Suggestions: Lack of sleep in this age group is most often associated with diminished brain power or stress-related bad habits such as overeating. Guo Ruoxiheng reminds that in addition to relieving stress as much as possible, you can also work on the sleeping environment, such as reducing noise, ventilation, proper shading, and choosing a 10-15 cm high, soft and firm pillow. Still not enough sleep, you can also make up for it by taking a one-hour lunch break. Young people aged 13 to 29: sleep about 8 hours a day Young people in this age group usually need to sleep 8 hours a day, and to follow the principle of early to bed and early to rise, to ensure that about 3:00 at night into a deep sleep. Usually should ensure that the latest 24:00 bed, get up at 6:00 am, and try not to sleep on weekends. Because the bedtime is too long, it will disrupt the body’s biological clock, leading to mental discomfort, affecting memory, and will miss breakfast, causing eating disorders. Suggestions: young people are used to staying up late, which will directly affect their mental state the next day, and easy to make skin damage, acne, acne, chloasma and other problems. Long-term late night will also affect the endocrine, resulting in a decline in immunity, colds, gastrointestinal infections, allergies, etc. will come to the door, but also forgetfulness, irritability, anxiety and other mental symptoms. Therefore, the most important thing for young people is to regulate their lives, do not eat an hour before going to bed, and take a half-hour nap at noon, which is more beneficial to the body. Children 4 to 12 years old: sleep 10 to 12 hours a day Children 4 to 10 years old sleep 12 hours a day is necessary to go to bed every night at about 8 o’clock and take a nap at noon as much as possible. Older children get 10 hours of sleep, or even 8 hours is enough. Li Haiying, deputy chief physician of the Department of Pediatrics at the Capital Institute of Pediatrics, told reporters that children who do not get enough sleep will not only be depressed and have low immunity, but will also affect growth and development. However, she reminded that sleep time should not be too long, if more than 12 hours, it may lead to obesity. Suggestion: children basically do not have sleep disorders, as long as you create a good environment. Do not eat before bedtime, do not have too bright lights or stimulating music in the bedroom; it is best to set a schedule with your child to urge them to sleep on time; let your child do some preparations before bedtime, such as brushing teeth, washing face, making the bed, etc. This process may seem simple, but it is suggesting to your child that “it’s time to sleep”. 1 to 3 year olds: 12 hours per night, two to three hours during the day Toddlers need to get 12 hours of sleep each night and two to three hours during the day. The specific hours of sleep can be determined by their own sleep rhythms, for example, some babies are used to taking a nap near noon and one in the late afternoon. Suggestion: Babies at this age tend to get too excited to play and sleep is disrupted. Sometimes they go to sleep while their brain is still active; when they fall asleep, they often grind their teeth, kick the covers and wet the bed. All these can affect the baby’s brain and body development. Therefore, parents are advised to give their babies a warm bath one hour before bedtime to relax the whole body; telling a short story or playing some relaxing, soothing music, etc., also helps to fall asleep. Infants under 1 year old: 16 hours per day Infants under 1 year old need the most sleep, about 16 hours per day. Sleep is an important time for the growth and development of small-month-old infants, so sleep time must be guaranteed. Suggestions: Most sleep problems in infants are due to calcium deficiency, daytime fright, and digestive disorders; there are also children who do not sleep well at night because they sleep too much during the day. In this regard, parents should pay attention to calcium supplementation and scientific feeding; they also need to try to ensure that the infant’s sleep is complete at night, and should not feed or change diapers frequently at night, especially in the latter half of the night, because small-month-old babies secrete hormones fastest in the latter half of the night.