The main factors regulating human sleep are:

• genetic factors including the individual need for sleep. The genetically determined length of sleep depends on the length of a person's sleep cycle and the number of cycles a person needs to sleep. The genetically determined need for sleep cannot be changed, which means that the body cannot be accustomed to sleeping less,
• age is the most important factor. Newborn babies sleep approximately 16 hours. The length of sleep decreases during infancy. At 12 months a child sleeps 9-12 h and around 7 years 10-11 h. An adult sleeps on average 7-8 h,
• gender. In men, a deterioration in sleep quality in the form of a decrease in deep sleep is observed after the age of 20. In women, a sudden deterioration in sleep quality is observed after the age of 40,
• homeostatic process,
• circadian rhythm.