7 to 8 hours of sleep per night is adequate
As people age following age 50, those who slept less than five hours a night were at a greater risk of developing two or more chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, compared to those who slept longer, a new study found.
A research team composed of scientists from University College London in the UK and the University of Paris Cité in France found that regarding 7,000 men and women who participated in the ‘Whitehall II cohort study’ found that the sleep duration at the age of 50, 60, and 70 was different. The effect on health was analyzed. The study found that people aged 50, 60, and 70 who slept 5 hours or less had a 30% to 40% increased risk of developing various chronic diseases compared to those who slept up to 7 hours.
The researchers looked at the relationship between sleep duration and mortality in subjects. After 25 years of follow-up, sleeping five hours or less per night at age 50 increased the risk of death by 25%. “This is because short sleep duration increases the risk of chronic disease, which in turn increases the risk of death,” the researchers said.
The researchers also analyzed how sleeping more than 9 hours might affect health, but did not find a clear link between sleeping this long and developing chronic disease in healthy 50-year-olds. “However, in people who had already been diagnosed with a chronic disease, long sleep was associated with an approximately 35% increased risk of developing other diseases due to an underlying health condition that affected sleep,” the researchers found.
“People change their sleep habits and structure as they get older, but it’s good to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night,” said Dr Severin Sabia, who led the research team. said. “Keep the bedroom quiet and dark, maintain the right temperature, and practice good sleep hygiene,” he advised. “Also, avoid eating too much before bed.”
The results of this study (Association of sleep duration at age 50, 60, and 70 years with risk of multimorbidity in the UK: 25-year follow-up of the Whitehall II cohort study) were published in the online scientific journal ‘PLOS Medicine. ) was published in
