Scientists at University College London Explain Why Older People Need More than 6 Hours of Sleep
Sleep is an important factor in a healthy lifestyle that affects both the physical and emotional state of a person. A recent study by scientists has shown that quality and long sleep is especially important for middle-aged people.
Experts from University College London studied the data of about 8 thousand Britons aged 50 to 60 years and found that sleep at this age should not be less than 6 hours. Otherwise, the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases increases.
Study participants self-reported their sleep duration 6 times between 1985 and 1988 when they were 35 to 55 years old. The scientists then documented the volunteers’ sleep duration again between 2015 and 2016 (they were 63 to 86 years old). Some participants used wrist gadgets to provide objective measurements of their sleep duration.
Over the course of the 30-year study, the experts noted that over 500 participants developed dementia. Thanks to this large-scale experiment, scientists have come to the conclusion that middle-aged people who sleep less than 6 hours a day are more likely to develop dementia by 30%.
The Commentaries previously reported that people with the healthiest and most complete sleep patterns had a 42% lower risk of heart failure, according to American Heart Association research than those who had problems or did not pay enough attention to sleep.
