How Much Sleep Do You Need by Age??

This info is actually part of a blog of the same title from TheSleepJudge.com.  I was so impressed that I have excerpted part of it here.  Enjoy!

Sleep time does vary from person to person but it also varies by age. If you have a newborn baby you will know this amount can fluctuate wildly. While you may have a friend whose child sleeps for 17 hours a day you could be struggling with a child that takes several catnaps and only sleeps for about 12 hours.

Healthy adults need between seven to nine hours to be at their best as described above but how much sleep do we need as we grow and get older?

A newborn baby should be getting at least 14 and up to 17 hours of sleep per day. This is often broken up into smaller chunks due to the needs for feeding and changing.

As a baby gets older, at four months old they will start sleeping for slightly shorter times. Between four and 11 months, your child should be sleeping between 12 and 15 hours a day.

The tricky thing with children is that sometimes they might start sleeping for 14 hours as a newborn and actually need more sleep as they grow. It is not an exact science!

A child between the ages of one and two years old should be getting about 11 to 14 hours sleep. This is a good time to introduce an afternoon nap and then try to get your baby to sleep through for eight to ten hours overnight.

At three to five years old, your baby needs ten to 13 hours sleep. Again, they might be still happy to sleep overnight and then take a nap in the afternoon. As they start school, the amount of sleep they need could increase as they are challenged physically and mentally.

At six to 13 years old, your child should be getting just a little longer than the average adult at nine to 11 hours.

A teenager should be aiming for eight to ten hours. You might find teenagers sleep a little longer than this!

All adults should be getting their seven hours or more per night but as you get into retirement age you might find it harder to sleep for longer.

A person aged over 65 only really needs seven or eight hours sleep but sometimes a nap in the day can help make up some missed hours if it is difficult to sleep overnight.

For more information go to https://www.thesleepjudge.com/how-much-sleep-do-you-need/

Tales of a College Nutrition Professor

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This was written as part of my role as an advisor to Americans for Food & Beverage Choice.

In the 20+ years that I’ve been a college professor, the comments and questions from students never cease to amaze me.  In fact, it’s one of the reasons I continue teaching-- to keep my fingers on the pulse of what nutrition headlines and myths are circulating and impressing people.  Nutrition misinformation fascinates me, as does the challenge of clarifying it.

Myth: Low-Calorie Sweeteners are unhealthy

For instance, a student recently commented that low-cal sweeteners are “bad” and talked about a study on their unhealthy effects.   From what he said, I could tell it was right out of a 1968 study that caught lots of attention in its day, yet somehow still has legs.  The problem is the study was done on rats and he clearly hadn’t evaluated the science. I explained where the rumor originated and that evidence shows that low-cal sweeteners are safe and proven to help when used in weight loss programs.  I point out that the American Heart Association maintains this position, as do many other health care organizations, like the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the FDA, who affirms that low-calorie sweeteners are safe for human consumption.

Science is really the issue and the revelation that nutrition is a science comes as a shock to many students.  Yes, nutrition IS a science, and one study, on rats, does not a body of evidence make.

Myth: Soda is the cause of obesity

On the flip side, are the students who believe sugar-sweetened beverages make you fat?   The evidence shows otherwise.   Excess calories and/or too little activity contribute to weight gain. Obesity is a complex issue that cannot be simply attributed to one dietary ingredient. All calories count and balance really is key.  

Myth: Fresh is best

A myth I often hear is that when it comes to produce is “fresh is best,” while canned and frozen items should be avoided.  Not so.  Due to the transportation and storage involved, by the time they are cooked or consumed fresh fruits and veggies have lost nutrients.  Frozen and canned items are processed immediately after harvesting so nutrient loss is minimal.  What’s important is to purchase fresh produce in season, know your vendor, that turnover is quick, and prepare soon after purchasing.

I could go on and on.  There are two important considerations in nutrition.  One is to take time and know the source of the information; go beyond the headline.   The other is balance.  That means balance in food choices and balanced opinions.  There is no reason to demonize one food or one ingredient.   Hidden beneath the dramatic headline is generally a fable that people mistake for fact.

Professor, photograph © The (Lintakoon) Kwans /flickr