How much sleep do you want? NSF’s Bedtime Calculator™ is now available to help you figure out what time to go to bed or wake up for better sleep health.

As a sleeping tool, the Bedtime Calculator conveniently calculates what time you should go to sleep or wake up based on the number of sleeping hours you want. NSF is making this tool available free to the public in its effort to promote public awareness of the need for sufficient, restful sleep for individual and societal health and safety.

The Bedroom Calculator is available at sleepfoundation.org/bedtimecalculator.

NSF encourages everyone to get the sleep they need. NSF recommends 7-9 hours of sleep for adults aged 18-64 and 7-8 hours for older adults aged 65 and over.

• To get a good night’s sleep, follow these simple and effective sleep tips:
• Stick to a sleep schedule, even on weekends.
• Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual.
• Exercise daily.
• Evaluate your bedroom to ensure ideal temperature, sound and light.
• Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
• Beware of hidden sleep stealers, like alcohol and caffeine.
• Turn off electronics before bed.

Assessing Your Sleep Needs

Chances are you’re sleep deprived if you can only get started and through the day with multiple cups of coffee, habitually sleep in on weekends, frequently feel irritated, or find yourself dropping the ball at work. If this sounds familiar, there’s no time like the present to slowly but surely increase your hours asleep.

If you discover you thrive on 8.5 hours of sleep, try your best not to compare yourself to others who need less. The key again is to become more aware of your authentic sleep needs and embrace rather than fight or disregard them.

The Impact of Sleep Deprivation

For people who insist they can get by with less than 7 hours of sleep, that may be the case, but it’s not likely. In Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams, Matthew Walker, Ph.D. explains that you don’t know how sleep-deprived you are when you’re sleep-deprived. With chronic sleep restriction over months or years, an individual will actually acclimate to their impaired performance, lower alertness, and reduced energy levels.¹

Moreover, Dr. Walker indicates that sleep loss inflicts devastating effects on the brain and body and is linked to Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, suicide, chronic pain, stroke, cancer, diabetes, heart attacks, infertility, weight gain, obesity, and immune deficiency. In short, no facet of the human body is spared the crippling effects of sleep loss.²

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