Sleep sweet spot is six to eight hours a day

dushazmi

Not too much, not too little . . .
the ‘Goldilocks’ sweet spot for the
optimum amount of sleep is six
to eight hours. And getting more
or less than that over the years
could cause health problems
such as heart disease or stroke,
researchers say.
Over-sleepers seem to be at
greater risk; those who constantly
sleep more than eight hours run
a 33 percent increased risk for
cardiovascular disease. Those
who sleep less than six hours
have an 11 percent higher risk.
But the occasional bad night’s
sleep isn’t going to make a big
difference. The researchers
tracked the sleeping habits of
more than 1 million people for
over nine years and divided them
into three groups: under-sleepers,
over-sleepers and those who slept
six to eight hours every day.
Researchers from the Onassis
Cardiac Surgery Centre in Athens
say they aren’t sure why sleep
should influence health, but think
it may have something to do
with glucose metabolism, blood
pressure and inflammation.
“Having the odd short night or
lie-in is unlikely to be detrimental
to health, but evidence is
accumulating that prolonged
nightly sleep deprivation or
excessive sleeping should be
avoided,” said lead researcher Dr
Epameinondas Fountas.
Regular sleeping habits and
avoiding caffeine and alcohol
before bed, having a healthy diet,
and regular exercise can all help
achieve the sleeping sweet spot,
the researchers say.
Proceedings of the European Society of
Cardiology Congress, Munich, Germany, August
26, 2018