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Health

Why your chronotype is key to figuring out how much sleep you need

Is 8 hours of sleep really the right amount for you? Understanding your personal chronotype could be a better way to approach how much time you should spend in bed

By Michael Marshall

20 January 2025

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Dong Qiu

Would we feel better if we slept a bit more? Possibly – but it isn’t guaranteed. While we know the amount of sleep the average person needs, there is a lot of variation. To get a better idea about how many hours you require – and how and when to get it – let’s start with the basics.

This article is part of special series investigating key questions about sleep. Read more here.

According to the US National Sleep Foundation, a typical adult needs between 7 and 9 hours per night, although we begin life needing a lot more – newborns…

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