Bigbird Posted May 3, 2022 Share Posted May 3, 2022 (edited) Seven hours’ sleep is ideal amount in middle to old age, study finds Too much and too little sleep linked with worse cognitive performance and mental health A good night’s sleep is as important as exercise for people as they get older, one researcher said. Photograph: Getty Images Hannah Devlin Science correspondent @hannahdev Thu 28 Apr 2022 16.00 BST Seven hours of sleep each night is the ideal amount in middle to old age, research suggests. The study of nearly 500,000 adults aged between 38 and 73 found that both too much and too little sleep were linked with worse cognitive performance and mental health, including anxiety and depression. A consistent amount of sleep also appeared to be beneficial. Prof Barbara Sahakian, from Cambridge University’s department of psychiatry, said: “For every hour that you moved away from seven hours you got worse. It’s very clear that the processes that go on in our brain during sleep are very important for maintaining our physical and mental health.” Getting a good night’s sleep, she added, was important at all stages of life, but particularly as people aged. “I think it is as important as getting exercise.” A possible reason for the link between insufficient sleep and cognitive decline may be the disruption of slow-wave, or deep, sleep, which has been shown to be important for memory consolidation. A lack of deep sleep could also prevent the brain from clearing toxins effectively. The study, which used data from the UK Biobank, included brain imaging and genetic data for almost 40,000 of the study participants. It found that the brain area most affected by sleep was the region containing the hippocampus, the brain’s memory centre, with too much or too little sleep linked to a smaller brain volume. The analysis found that people who slept seven hours a night performed best on average on cognitive tests for processing speed, visual attention, memory and problem-solving skills. However, the work could not prove a causal relationship, and the link between sleep and some brain disorders is complex. For instance, unusual sleep patterns and insomnia are a common symptom in people with dementia. The scientists are less clear about why spending eight or more hours in bed could cause problems. One explanation is that people who have poor quality, disturbed sleep, tend to spend longer sleeping – or trying to sleep – because they feel tired. “We don’t really understand why sleeping longer would be a problem,” Sahakian said. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/apr/28/seven-hours-sleep-is-ideal-amount-in-middle-to-old-age-study-finds Edited May 3, 2022 by Bigbird 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chamfer Posted May 3, 2022 Share Posted May 3, 2022 I think it's the quality of sleep matters most. On weekend i sleep more than 9-10hours and at times even take 1-2 hours of afternoon nap,still feel tired and not refreshed. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ODACHEK Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 Yup....ish huat moi did... 1 TVB for life... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XianGe Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 Best is 8-9hrs... 7hrs is ok only. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbird Posted May 4, 2022 Author Share Posted May 4, 2022 (edited) Credits Wearable The duration is secondary. I find the key importants is the "Deep sleep"! My sleep duration is averaging 5-6hrs and deep sleeps is 1-1.5hrs, after awake i still feel fatique . When i hit 7-9hrs my deep sleep can hit 2-2.5hrs and i feel my body is well rested and can "chiong"! This is very useful to monitor my body condition. Those who feel the sleep a lot but dont feel rested. can monitor using this! Edited May 4, 2022 by Bigbird 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbird Posted May 4, 2022 Author Share Posted May 4, 2022 For more details on Sleep cycle, see above link! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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