A study published in the Dec.1 issue of Sleep, the official journal of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, says sleeping too much or too little can significantly increase the risk of mortality.
Findings of the study showed a decrease of sleep duration among participants sleeping six, seven or eight hours was associated with a 110-percent excess risk of cardiovascular death while an increase in sleep duration among those sleeping seven or eight hours was associated with a 110 percent excess risk of noncardiovascular mortality, said the author Jane Ferrie of the University College London Medical School.
"In terms of prevention, our findings indicate that consistently sleeping seven or eight hours per night is optimal for health," Doctor Ferrie said. The study was done in Britain and focused on 10,308 participants between 35 and 55 years of age.
Published by Teresita C. Tayanes on December 14, 2007 12:17 AM
