Older adults who sleep less than five hours may face premature death: study

According to a new research study, less than five hours of sleep could lead to premature death. 

Middle-aged people and older adults who do not sleep enough are 40% likelier to develop life-threatening diseases, the study showed. The illnesses include cancer, heart problems, and diabetes.

The lead author  Dr Severine Sabia from University College London said in a media release that "multimorbidity" was rising in developed countries with older adults diagnosed with at least two chronic illnesses. 

"This is proving to be a major challenge for public health," she said.

As people age, sleeping patterns, habits, and structures change. Regardless, Dr Sabia said that it was crucial for all ages to sleep for seven to eight hours.

“Our findings show that short sleep duration is also associated with multimorbidity.”

Apart from the duration of sleep, sleep quality is also important. Good sleep hygiene, optimal temperature, and absence of any kind of lights are among a few significant requirements of good sleep.

Reiterating previous studies, Dr Sabia said that physical activity during the day and exposure to sunlight could improve sleep at night.

The results of the recent study were published in PLoS Medicine. The sample for the research was nearly 8,000 men and women from the UK. The individuals were tracked for 25 years in the longitudinal study.

Analysis of the data showed that older adults desperately needed to sleep at least seven hours.

Other studies related to sleep have shown blue light from screens of smart devices has the potential to block the sleep hormone called melatonin. Another study shows, late-night snacking can disrupt sleep and lead to obesity.