By age · Older adult (65+)
How much sleep do older adults (65+) need?
Sleep architecture changes with age: lighter sleep, more wake bouts. Total need stays in the 7–8 hour range; perception of need often drifts lower.
Recommended
7–8 hrs
Cycles per night
5
Source
CDC 2022 / AASM
What this means in practice
The 7–8 hour range is the consensus from large meta-analyses, not a strict cutoff. Individuals at the edges of the band are usually fine. Chronic sleep below the lower bound is where measurable harm appears in cognitive, metabolic, and immune endpoints.
Use our sleep calculator to translate the recommended hours into a bedtime that ends a full 90-minute cycle.