← Reference notes

Sleep

Summary

Most adults need 7 or more hours of sleep a night (CDC: 7–9 for ages 61–64, 7–8 for 65+), and needs are higher for children and teens. Regular schedules and a quiet, cool, screen-free bedroom help; ongoing sleep problems are worth raising with a clinician.

General information, not medical advice. See a clinician about your own situation; in an emergency call 911 (US).

Facts

• id: F1 claim: CDC recommended sleep: adults 18–60 7+ hours; 61–64 7–9; 65+ 7–8; teens 13–17 8–10; ages 6–12 9–12. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
• id: F2 claim: Enough sleep is linked to fewer illnesses, better mood and attention, and lower risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
• id: F3 claim: Helpful habits: consistent bed and wake times, a quiet cool bedroom, devices off 30+ minutes before bed, avoiding big meals, alcohol, and late caffeine, and regular exercise. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
• id: F4 claim: Common sleep disorders include insomnia, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, and sleep apnea; a provider can test for them, sometimes with a sleep study. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0

Pointers

• answers: Full official guidance and details beyond this summary where: https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/index.html access: open, no account

Open issues (pre-review)

• Single open source (CDC). Add a second (e.g. NHLBI) before review.

For language models and agents: start at /llms.txt. This page in Markdown: /library/reference/us-gov/sleep.md.