Adults should get 7-9 hours of sleep per night

Adults should get 7-9 hours of sleep per night

Ideally, adults should be getting between 7-9 hours of sleep every night. However, it is estimated that at least 35% of adults are not getting enough sleep.

 

Research at the Oxford Academic explores the link between Sleep Duration and mortality https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/40/10/zsx135/4056064, even goes so far as to suggest that both short (<6.5 hours) and long (≥9.5 hours) sleep were associated with higher mortality. That is, people who sleep for less than 6.5 hours a night, or more than 9.5 hours a night, are likely to die sooner than those who sleep the recommended 7-9 hours.

People who sleep for less than 6.5 hours a night, or more than 9.5 hours a night, are likely to die sooner than those who sleep the recommended 7-9 hours.

There are many reasons why people are not getting enough sleep. Stress and anxiety mean that it can be harder to get to sleep and stay asleep. Lifestyle factors, such as having electronic devices like phones, TVs and tablets in the bedroom can keep you awake. Also, social jet-lag, where people go to bed late and sleep-in at the weekend, but then go to bed and get up significantly earlier in the working week, can play havoc with sleep. This discrepancy in going to bed and waking times at the weekend compared to the working week is like giving yourself jet-lag, resulting in poorer sleep.

If you are not regularly getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep, you could try comparing your working week and weekend bedtime routines and look to go to bed and get up at regular times throughout the week.

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