Seven hours sleep = long life

Seven hours sleep = long life

The secret to a perfect night's sleep has been revealed as having exactly seven hours sleep, no more, no less.

Researchers from the University of Warwick and University College London, studied data from one group of people at two stages of their lives, from 1985 to 1988 and again in 1992 to 1993. They discovered that those who get less than seven hours a night have an increased risk of mortality and are twice as likely to die from heart problems. Those who manage to get more than seven hours sleep at night (teenagers, old people??) are also putting their health at risk and face an increased risk of developing non-cardiovascular disease.

Francesco Cappuccio, of the University of Warwick medical school, said that lack of sleep could be linked to an increase risk of weight gain, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. He also mentioned that the link between too much sleep and poor health was still unclear.

Cappuccio commented:"Fewer hours sleep and greater levels of sleep disturbance have become widespread in industrialised societies. Sleep reperesents the daily process of physiological restitution and recovery and lack of sleep has far-reaching affects."

Currently one third of the UK adult population regularly sleeps five hours or fewer a night. The average night's sleep is seven hours. Previous studies have shown that women are more likely to suffer high blood pressure than men.

Thanks to the Daily Express, 25/09/07

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Last Modified: 25/09/2007
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