How Much Sleep Do You Really Need? It Might Not Be As Much as You Think. (Infographic) Or, it could be more.

By Carly Okyle

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Sleep is mysterious thing. It can be evasive and restless, or it can leave us feeling relaxed or energized. All we know for sure is that it's important, and we get it where we can -- in hours at night or in naps during the day.

The big question is, how much do we need?

Related: Can't Sleep? This Coffee Should Do the Trick. (Yes, We Said Coffee.)

The National Sleep foundation recently revised its recommended sleep amounts for different age groups. While eight hours of sleep each day is within the range of the recommended time for teenagers, adults and seniors, it's often true that people would benefit from more hours of sleep. For adults ages 18 to 25, sleeping for anywhere between seven to nine hours is recommended, but 10 or even 11 hours may be appropriate for some people. Teenagers need even more.

And depending on how your body works, it might need as little as six hours of sleep per night. Go figure.

The experts at the National Sleep Foundation have put their new guidelines in the handy infographic below. If you're not feeling rested each morning, you might consider changing up your sleep habits.

Click to Enlarge

How Much Sleep Do You Really Need? It Might Not Be As Much as You Think. (Infographic)

Related: This Alarm Clock Charges for Snoozes

Carly Okyle

Assistant Editor, Contributed Content

Carly Okyle is an assistant editor for contributed content at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Science & Technology

How to Access the Inner Power That Makes You Irreplaceable in an AI-Driven World

By awakening our Absolute Intelligence, we can lead with purpose, creativity and heart in a tech-driven world.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Side Hustle

She Quit Her Job at Trader Joe's After Starting a Side Hustle With $800 — Then She and Her Brother Grew the Business to $20 Million

Jaime Holm and Matt Hannula teamed up to build a business in an industry that "didn't exist" yet.

Buying / Investing in Business

Former Zillow Execs Target $1.3T Market

Co-ownership is creating big opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Starting a Business

A Cambodian Refugee Paralyzed By Polio Says 'Not Much' Was Expected of Him. He and His Wife Built a Multimillion-Dollar Business That Beat All Odds.

Steve and Brittany Yeng were discouraged from pursuing their unique idea, but they didn't listen to the naysayers.

Growing a Business

What 18,000 American Small Businesses Can Teach You About Success

Stay curious, stay committed and keep showing up — your success story is still unfolding.