Eight hours is enough- more sleep could lead to an early grave

Sleep is vital for good health but more of it may not always be better for everyone. Research recently published in the journal Neurology has found middle-aged and older people who sleep more than eight hours a day have an increased risk of stroke.  The findings are presented alongside a meta-analysis of 11 other studies from across seven countries involving over half a million people, which also finds longer sleeps can land you in an early grave.

Last month, the US-based National Sleep Foundation published revised guidelines on how much sleep people need based on input from 18 sleep experts and over 300 studies. For those aged between 18 and 65 years, it recommended between seven and nine hours over a 24-hour period. For those aged over 65, it suggested the narrower band of between seven and eight hours. In the light of the new findings, this narrower band may be the best idea for all adults, not just those aged over 65 years.

Read the summary article, "Eight hours is enough – more sleep could lead to an early grave", by Dorothy Bruck on The Conversation web page.