The New Sleep Guide of Your Dreams

Experts' rules of rest have shifted a lot—what to know now.

- By Jessica Migala

Sleep may be the foundation of health, but there's a lot of confusion around it. How much to get? How to make it easier? And if a watch tells you your time in bed sucked, did it? Thanks to smart experts and new research, we now understand what you truly need for *good* sleep. (Finally!) This advice takes the stress out of snooze time.

You Don't Need 8 Hours of Sleep

Actually, maybe you do. But maybe you don't. The point is: There's nothing set in stone about getting eight hours. “While the recommendation for most adults is still around seven to nine hours of sleep, there's a shift away from pursuing a one-size-fits-all ‘magic number,’” says sleep expert Wendy Troxel, PhD, a senior behavioral and social scientist with RAND. That's due to research that resulted in updated views on sleep quantity and quality. “We now recognize that sleep needs can vary, with some people requiring more and others less,” she says. Plus, quality sleep goes beyond duration—regularity is also important, Troxel adds. Case in point: Maintaining regular sleep patterns (i.e., consistent bed and wake-up times) was associated with up to 48 percent lower odds of death from any cause compared to having a more erratic sleep schedule, found a study published in Sleep. In fact, consistency was a stronger predictor of overall longevity than the number of hours clocked, per that same research.

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