Home LivingWellnessSleepIf you’re aged 38 plus, you should be getting 7 hours' sleep a night, not 8, finds major new studyMore or less than seven hours linked to poorer mental health and cognitive declineWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingWellnessSleepIf you’re aged 38 plus, you should be getting 7 hours' sleep a night, not 8, finds major new studyMore or less than seven hours linked to poorer mental health and cognitive declineWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
More or less than seven hours linked to poorer mental health and cognitive decline
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Getty)
(Image credit: Getty)
A lot of people have a lot of opinions on the best way to sleep, but one stat that gets bandied about frequently is that you should shoot for eight hours a night. However, a new large-scale study has found that – in the case of those aged 38-73 at least – the ideal amount of sleep per night is actually seven hours. More or less than that duration is linked with poorer cognitive performance and mental health.
What are the downsides to sleeping more or less than that ideal seven hours? A longer or shorter sleep duration was linked with poorer cognitive performance, with participants scoring worse in tests assessing their problem-solving skills, memory skills, processing speed, and visual attention. Sleeping too much or too little also had implications for mental health, with those reporting sleeping outside the ideal seven hours also being more likely to show symptoms of depression or anxiety, as well as worse overall wellbeing. Consistency – sleeping the same amount each night – also had an impact, with more consistent sleepers yielding better results.
Professor Barbara Sahakian, another study author from the University of Cambridge, added that, “Getting a good night’s sleep is important at all stages of life, but particularly as we age. Finding ways to improve sleep for older people could be crucial to helping them maintain good mental health and wellbeing and avoiding cognitive decline, particularly for patients with psychiatric disorders and dementias.”
If you’re struggling to get your full seven hours, and you think your bed is to blame, head to ourbest mattressguide to help you find the right upgrade for you. Some also find using awakeup light, rather than traditionalalarm clock, helps promote a more consistent sleep/wake cycle.
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