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Unlock Longevity: 7 Hours Sleep Cuts Early Death Risk
7 Jan
Summary
- Seven hours of consistent sleep lowers mortality risk by 24%.
- Poor sleep habits increase hospitalisation risk by 7%.
- Improving sleep could save the NHS £1.35 billion annually.
Adopting consistent sleep habits could dramatically reduce the risk of early death by nearly a quarter, adding up to four years to life expectancy. A comprehensive analysis revealed that individuals achieving seven hours of sleep with a regular bedtime experienced a 24% lower mortality risk.
Conversely, those regularly sleeping fewer than six hours faced a 20% higher likelihood of premature death. The study also underscored the financial strain of poor sleep on healthcare systems, estimating annual savings of £1.35 billion for the NHS if a quarter of Britons improved their sleep patterns.
Researchers emphasize that sleep should be treated as a daily, improvable behavior like diet or exercise. Measures such as maintaining a fixed bedtime and establishing a wind-down routine are crucial. Consistency in bedtime was found to be a stronger predictor of health than total sleep duration, mitigating risks associated with disrupted biological clocks.
