Longevity and Sleep
Sleep is a period when your mind and body are less responsive. Is your longevity affected by your sleep patterns? What can you do about it?
Research suggests that sleeping too much or not
enough can adversely affect your longevity and
your quality of life. This could reflect the impact
of sleep itself on overall health, or the impact of
diseases or conditions on both longevity and
sleep duration.
There is no ‘ideal’ amount of sleep. Daily
variations are normal and satisfactory levels
appear to vary for adults between 6 and 9 hours.
The American Sleep Association is a charity
and also a for-profit entity and permits
commercial sponsorships. It has a very
readable and informative discussion of sleep
and how to manage it better here.
In Australia, the Sleep Health Foundation is a
charity that aims to raise public awareness of
sleep health issues and improve public health
and safety. This includes highlighting the
consequences of sleeping difficulties and the
ways that these may be resolved.
The Foundation has an excellent series of
Fact Sheets for a wide range of conditions
and ages here.