A new study finds that older people can function healthily with only six and a half hours of sleep. True, the amount of sleep one needs to lead a healthy and accident free life has always been a matter up for a debate. However, there is now even more evidence that indicates that the older one gets the less sleep one needs.
Sleep deprivation is a common plague in modern day society. Like the Energizer Bunny, everybody keeps going and going all in the name of making a living, getting cash to feed and clothe the family. This, of course, results in numerous sleep deprived accidents. Car crashes, house fires, and on the job injuries are common when no sleep is involved.
Most experts will say there is no so-called magic number for sleep. Being adequately rested depends not only on age, but also on the individual. Eight hours is great for some; still others need ten. Da Vinci slept not more than five hours.
According to this new study from the UK, older people do not need to sleep as long as the young. Furthermore, middle-agers tended to sleep 20 minutes less than the 20-30 age group. Those aged 66-83 in turn, slept 20 minutes less than middle agers (aged 40-55).
There were total of 110 people in the study who had no history of sleep problems or lack of sleep issues. Researchers would wake the subjects at various times under various conditions. They also had subjects to take daytime naps, which counted toward that subject’s overall sleep.
The study found that it took less time for the 20-30 year old demographic to fall asleep when taking a nap than older people. On average, younger subjects took 8.7 minutes to fall asleep for a nap. Older people took 14.2 minutes.
While there is no true science of sleep, there is risk involved with both sleeping too much and sleeping too little. The amount of sleep one needs depends on many factors. The important thing is to be alert in the daytime. If one is constantly sleepy, more sleep is probably needed. Just because grandma’s awake at 5am and in bed by 11pm doesn’t mean everyone should follow suit.
Written by Lani Shadduck
HULIQ.com
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