Sleep Quantity and Quality
Sleep needs vary across different life stages, with newborns requiring 14 to 17 hours and adults between 26 and 64 needing 7 to 9 hours.
Quality of sleep is emphasized as paramount; waking up refreshed is the key indicator of sufficient sleep, rather than the number of hours spent asleep.
Gender-Based Sleep Patterns
Women, on average, sleep slightly more than men, though research does not conclusively show they need more sleep.
Gender differences in sleep onset around puberty, with teenage girls often sleeping less than boys and experiencing more insomnia.