The six-year long study that involved more than a million men and women suggested that people who slept seven hours a night had the best mortality rate while those who slept eight hours or more or six hours or less had significantly lower mortality rates. In other words, those who slept more than six hours and less than eight lived longer.
Daniel F. Ripke, M.D. professor of psychology at the University of California and head of the research group stated that eight hours of sleep were not really necessary. "It is evidently very safe to sleep only seven, six or even five hours a night."
Dr. Donald L. Bliwise, Ph.D. and a sleep expert warned that, although the findings confirmed earlier studies, that doesn't mean it's safe to get too little sleep over a long period of time.
The National Sleep Foundation, which recommends eight hours of sleep, was quick to challenge the study. They worry that the publication of these results will only confuse people. Dr. Russell Rosenburg, director of the Northside Hospital Sleep Medicine Institute in Atlanta suggests that the study is flawed. For one thing, it doesn't take into consideration the quality of sleep. Dr. Rosenburg mentions the many studies that show a correlation between lack of sleep and reduced mental and physical ability, increased risk of accidents, and adverse effects to the immune system.
The results of a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation indicate that most American adults don't get the recommended eight hours of sleep. Don't use the results of this latest study as a rationalization for our shortcomings in the area of sleep. We need more studies, deeper research and a lot of thought before deciding to reduce the number of hours we sleep.
