Is 5 hours of sleep a night enough?
Sleep is essential for physical and mental health, but many people do not get enough. So is sleeping 5 hours a night enough and what are the health consequences?
Is 5 hours of sleep enough? The answer isAre notAccording to experts, 5 hours of sleep in 24 hours is not enough for most adults.
“Five hours of sleep is too little, especially if it’s a regular thing,” Shelby Harris, a clinical psychologist specializing in behavioral sleep medicine at Sleepopolis, tellsTODAY.com.
When it comes to sleep needs, there's no magic number. Age, genetics, and underlying health all play a role.
“If you have no external pressures and can go to bed when you feel sleepy, sleep as long as your body needs, and then wake up without using an alarm, feeling rested… that’s the amount of time you need,” says Dr. Bhanu Kolla, a sleep specialist and psychiatrist at the Mayo Clinic.
Usually, sleeping 5 hours a night is not enough. Illustration: Healthline
In this situation, most healthy people will naturally get between seven and nine hours of sleep, according to Dr. Kolla. This is why experts and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommend that adults get seven or more hours of sleep each night on a regular basis to promote optimal health.
However, some people may need a little more or less than this amount of time each night. Some adults may not feel rested unless they get 9 or 10 hours of sleep, and that's okay.
Others may function on closer to five hours of sleep, but according to experts, getting this much sleep on a regular basis is not the healthiest way to go.
Meanwhile, there are people who are naturally short sleepers, who can sleep less than six hours a night and function normally without feeling tired or experiencing adverse health outcomes, said Dr. Andrew Varga, a neuroscientist and physician at the Mount Sinai Integrative Sleep Center.
However, experts believe this is due to a rare genetic mutation. People who naturally sleep less make up only a small group of the population.
Getting less than five hours of sleep a night is often due to external factors, stress, poor sleep hygiene or a sleep disorder, Harris says.
We all have nights of poor sleep, but it's important to realize that not getting enough sleep can have short- and long-term health consequences.
The Health Effects of Sleeping Only 5 Hours a Night
After sleeping five hours a night, most people can make up for it in a night or two with a normal amount of sleep or a few extra hours, says Dr. Kolla. A nap the next day can also help.
People who regularly sleep less than seven hours a night may adapt to some extent and not feel as sleepy over time. However, getting used to not getting enough sleep does not prevent the negative health effects from accumulating.
Experts note that when sleeping too little becomes a habit and you don't catch up on sleep, this can lead to chronic sleep deprivation, which is linked to many long-term health effects.
Cognitive function
In the short term, not getting enough sleep can negatively affect cognitive function the next day.
In addition to feeling sleepy, you may have difficulty concentrating, remembering things, have slower reaction times, and you may be more irritable than usual. You may find this negatively affects your work or school performance.
Accidents and falls
Lack of sleep can also increase a person's risk of serious accidents. Too much sleep loss can impair a person's functioning in a similar way to blood alcohol levels.
Heart and kidney problems
In the long term, people who regularly sleep less than six hours have a higher rate of diseases such as high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, diabetes, etc.
Depression and other mental health problems
Research has shown that lack of sleep is linked to an increased risk of mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, as well as neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease.
What is the recommended amount of sleep?
Dr. Kolla says that people have different sleep needs at different stages of life. Infants and young children need much more sleep than adults and older adults. In people of the same age group, sleep needs are influenced by medical, environmental, and behavioral factors.
The amount of sleep you need can also vary slightly depending on your lifestyle and how active you are during the day.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the CDC, the recommended sleep needs for each age group (per 24 hours) are:
- Newborns (4-12 months): 12-16 hours, including naps.
- Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours, including naps.
- Children (3-5 years old): 10-13 hours, including naps.
- School-age children (6-12 years old): 9-12 hours.
- Teenagers (13-18 years old): 8-10 hours.
- Adults (18 years and older): 7 hours or more.
Generally, you know you've gotten enough sleep if you wake up feeling refreshed and can function normally throughout the day without being hit by sleepiness or needing to take a nap.
