How much sleep do you really need?

MailOnline 3 February 2015
We spend around a third of our lives asleep.

Not only is the weekend lie in the stuff of your weekday dreams, but sleep, along with food, water and oxygen, is essential for human survival.

And the amount of shut eye a person gets each night, provides a vital indicator of their overall health.

But it seems some of us aren’t getting enough time between the sheets.

A new study, by experts at the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) in the US, has recommended children aged four months to 17 years old need more sleep than was previously advised.

Past studies have found a lack of sleep can increase a person’s risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes, shortening life expectancy.

In order to determine exactly how much sleep a person needs at each stage of their life, a team of 18 specialists from sleep, anatomy and physiology, as well as paediatrics, neurology, gerontology and gynaecology convened to form an expert panel.

The scientists at the NSF in the US worked for two years to produce the most up-to-date guidance.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2937728/How-sleep-REALLY-need-Experts-compile-definitive-snooze-chart-revealing-shut-eye-need-stage-life.html