Five Hours’ Sleep Is Tipping Point For Bad Health

At least five hours sleep a night may cut the over-50s’ chances of multiple chronic health problems, researchers say. The PLoS Medicine study tracked the health and sleep of UK civil servants. All of the about 8,000 participants were asked: How many hours of sleep do you have on an average weeknight?” Some also wore a wrist-watch sleep tracker. And they were checked for chronic conditions, including diabetes, cancer and heart disease, over two decades of follow-up:

– Those who slept five hours or less around the age of 50 had a 30% greater risk of multiple ailments than those who slept seven hours

– Shorter sleep at 50 was also associated with a higher risk of death during the study period, mainly linked to the increased risk of chronic disease