Sleep
Sleep is essential for a productive lifestyle and overall health and wellness. Sleep is a result of your sleep-wake cycle, also known as your circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is your internal biological “clock” that tells you when you are tired and when to wake up. Each day your biological “clock” must be reset. Sunshine or bright light in the morning helps reset your clock.
How much sleep do we need?
We spend one third of our whole life asleep!
| Age | Recommended hours |
|---|---|
| Newborn (0 to 3 months) | 14 to 17 hours |
| Infant (4 to 11 months) | 12 to 16 hours |
| Toddler (1 to 2 years) | 11 to 14 hours |
| Pre-school (3 to 4 years) | 10 to 13 hours |
| School age (5 to 13 years) | 9 to 11 hours |
| Teen (14 to 17 years) | 8 to 10 hours |
| Young adult (18 to 25 years) | 7 to 9 hours |
| Adult (26 to 64 years) | 7 to 9 hours |
| Older adult (65+) | 7 to 8 hours |
Why do we need sleep?
- To help us learn new things.
- To rest, restore, and rejuvenate our body.
- To grow muscle.
- To repair tissue.
- To make hormones.
- Help maintain a healthy weight.
- To process information we take in throughout the day. When you sleep, information is moved from our short-term “memory bank” to stronger, long-term memory, a process called “memory consolidation”.
Sleep cycles
Sleep is a very active process. While we sleep, we cycle through 5 stages. Each cycle lasts about 90 minutes and we cycle 4 to 6 times each night.
- Stage 1 is the stage from being awake to asleep.
- Stage 2 is when you are fully asleep. Brain waves slow. Heart rates slow and body temperature drops.
- Stages 3 and 4 are deeper sleep. These stages are important for the body to repair and restore itself.
- Stage 5 REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. This stage is named after its rapid eye movements. This is the stage where dreaming occurs. This stage is important for memory, consolidation, and learning.
Helpful Resources
National Sleep Foundation’s sleep diary
Are Canadian Kids Too Tired to Move?
Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years
Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth
This item was last modified on October 24, 2023