How Much Sleep Do People Need?

Although many factors influence how much sleep you really need, the common recommendation is eight hours a night.

Yet, peoples' sleep needs vary. There are people who need as little as five and a half hours of sleep a night and there are people who need as much as nine and a half hours per night.

How much sleep you require depends on several factors including:

- Your inherited genetic need
- Your sleep hygiene (those daily activities you control, from drinking coffee or alcohol to smoking and exercise)
- The quality of your sleep
- Your 24-hour daily cycle known as the circadian rhythm