If you are like most Americans, chances are you are not getting enough sleep. And according to researchers, lack of sleep isn’t just a problem with teenagers, college students and multitasking adults, it’s also found in infants and children of all ages.

How much sleep do we need? The requirements for each person depend on many factors including age.  For example, in general:

• Infants need about 16 hours a day
• Children under 5 should have 12 - 15 hours of sleep per day
• Children ages 5 to 12 should have 10 – 11 hours of sleep each night
• Teenagers need about nine hours on average
• Most adults need seven to eight hours a night
• Women in the first three months of pregnancy often need several more hours of sleep than normal

The amount of sleep you need also increases if you’ve been deprived of sleep. Gettng too little sleep creates a "sleep debt." Much like being overdrawn at the bank, our bodies will crave additional sleep to repay the debt.  And the sooner ou “pay up” the better, say sleep experts. Many adults think sleeping in on the weekend is good enough to repay an entire work week of six-hour-a-night (or less) sleep.

However, researchers have found that this is not true. It’s better to get adequate sleep on most nights and when that doesn’t happen, make up for lost sleep as soon as possible. That said, a recent study cited that gender differences were linked to the restorative portion of sleep, or deep sleep. Women who experienced more deep sleep handled the effects of one work week of mild sleep deprivation better, and recovered better after two nights of extended sleep.

So what happens if we make a habit of being in “sleep debt?”  It starts to take a toll on our mental and physical well-being, including:

• Impaired cognitive function – Children and adults who are not fully rested may have difficulty with their memory or understanding new concepts, learning new skills, or making good decisions.
• Obesity - Sleep deprivation may contribute to obesity in children and adults. Researchers found that poor sleep at 30 months can predict obesity at age seven.  Teenagers and adults also eat more and exercise less when they are lacking sleep.
• Emotions and stress tolerance – When we are tired, symptoms of depression, anxiety, aggression and increased stress levels can result.
• Weakened immune system – Your body uses down-time to recharge and recover from the day’s stress on the body. Over time, lack of sleep may increase your chance of becoming sick. Poor sleep has been linked with high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart failure, heart attack and stroke, diabetes, and some forms of cancer.
• Motor skills and reaction time – Sleep deprivation can be dangerous behind the wheel of a vehicle. Sleep-deprived people who are tested by using a driving simulator or by performing a hand-eye coordination task perform as badly as or worse than those who are intoxicated. Driver fatigue is responsible for an estimated 100,000 motor vehicle accidents and 1,500 deaths each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
• Income – At the end of the day, all of the above can have an effect on our ability to earn a living.

For some helpful tips on getting enough zzzzs, read more here...

Sources:

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

WebMD

Harvard Medical School

WebMD

Natural News

Business Insider