Final answer:
It is false that ages 5-17 only need 7 hours of sleep a night. Teenagers, in particular, are recommended to get 8 to 10 hours of sleep for optimal health. Sleep needs gradually decrease with age.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that ages 5-17 need only 7 hours of sleep a night is FALSE. According to research, including information cited by the National Sleep Foundation, the amount of sleep needed varies by age, with younger children requiring more. Children aged 5-17 generally need more than 7 hours of sleep, with recommendations often suggesting that teenagers should get 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night for optimal health and functioning.
A study indicating that teenagers have a mean of 8.9 hours slept indicates that they sleep more than the minimum 7 hours that might be recommended for adults. In contrast, a sample of adults showed an average of 6.9 hours slept, which corroborates the idea that sleep needs decrease with age. However, it is crucial to recognize that individual sleep needs can vary and that consistent insufficient sleep can lead to a sleep debt with negative consequences for alertness and mental efficiency.