Throughout our entire lives we are badgered about when we go to bed, when we wake up, where we sleep and even who we sleep with (although this article won’t be about that). For many the presumption is the more the better with less sleep deemed as a risk factor for every illness and disease under the sun.

Sometimes it’s difficult for many to get what they perceive as enough sleep with work commitments, social lives, education and a million and one other things to do on a day to day basis. We’re simply too busy to sleep. “You can sleep when you’re dead” is a common phrase… although with that attitude that day may come sooner than you think.

Most envy the stereotypical lazy teenager who sleeps 20 hours a day and spends the other 4 eating. However recent literature suggests that perhaps increasing sleep duration may not be as beneficial as once thought.

A meta-analysis published in the European Heart Journal in 2011 suggested that sleeping too long may be nearly as detrimental to health as not sleeping enough (Cappuccio et al, 2011). Cappuccio and his research team analysed the current body of literature on sleep and cardiovascular health and presented some interesting findings.

Individuals regularly engaging in short sleep, which was defined as below 5 hours per night, significantly increased risk of fatal and non-fatal cases of coronary heart disease, coronary artery disease and stroke. Interestingly however the same analysis found that long sleep, defined as above 9 hours per night also demonstrated increased risk of the same cardiovascular conditions.

Evidence of individuals sleeping between 5-9 hours per night showed no significant correlation.

With all of this in mind our sleeping patterns may be more influential than first thought, however sleeping for as long as possible no longer seems optimal. The recommendation of between 7-8 hours per night for health adult populations seems about right… for now anyway.

Jack Barton (Researcher, Rescon Ltd)

References
Cappuccio, F. P., Cooper, D., D’Elia, L., Strazzullo, P., & Miller, M. A. (2011). Sleep duration predicts cardiovascular outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. European Heart Journal, 32(12), 1484-1492.