Are you getting enough?

[Teri23]

Has anyone seen this article on BBC health? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38151180

It suggests that sleeping six hours or less a night can increase your chances of early death by 13%:eek

The research suggests that lack of sleep and tired employees are costing UK industry £40bn, and the US a whopping £328bn. I'm not entirely convinced how they have come to those figures. Ultimately, the staff are at work and may have a slightly reduced output, but enough to evaluate?

[Tom32]

I can understand that lack of sleep can affect your health. But, I fail to see how statisticians can come up with the 13% figure as a direct result of reduced sleep.

There are too many variables in everyones life to see 1 hour (6 hours or 7 hours) sleep made a huge difference to a persons life.

[Jade26]

I don't function on less than 6 hours, I can just about get away with one night, but that's it.
I find as I get older I tolerate altered sleep far less.

[J-jay]

I had a job a few years back which required me to do set shifts on a rotational basis, one week days, one week nights. The days after my nights were horrendous, I felt hung over for days.

I was sleeping, and more than likely getting my 7-8 hours a day, but the timing of the sleep is important too.
I quickly gave that job up and feel much better for it.

[over the hill]

I used to do shifts, they are a killer!

A change in sleep pattern really wreaks your health in general, I noticed loads of changes in my health and normal functions when I did shifts.

They are not good for you!

[Louise]

I have to agree with j-jay, the timing of your sleep is crucial, so you may be achieving the 7-8 hours a day, but if you sleep in the day, or wake up in the very early hours it still affects how you function.

It seems there is a perfect amount of sleep time, but also a preferred time in which to get those hours of sleep.

[Kellyjames]

Margaret Thatcher was famous for only sleeping 4 hours a night, it didn't do her any ill health.

[John B]

I read somewhere that lack of sleep makes you fat. I sleep like a log, and I'm overweight, so I think I've singlehandedly blown that theory out of the window!

[Tom32]

Margaret Thatcher was famous for only sleeping 4 hours a night, it didn't do her any ill health.

She's dead!

[Dale42]

I thought sleep was crucial because it helps detoxify us, that's why people go mad when they don't get sleep.:ykies
they use lack of sleep as a torture tool in some countries.

[Mummy2Two]

I thought sleep was crucial because it helps detoxify us

I'm not sure that sleep detoxifies the body, I think that the brain detoxifies when we are asleep, a bit like rebooting your computer. I think that is why when people lack sleep, they start to hallucinate and eventually go mad.

[Rainbow]

I find that if I have too much sleep I feel groggy all day, and too little sleep I feel hungover. 8 hours seems to be about right, well for me anyway.

Is it right too little sleep puts you at greater risk of death?

[sophie]

Lack of sleep can put you at risk of all the major contributors of death, including heart disease, stroke, obesity and depression.

[Kitkat]

Surely it is more important to get quality, resorative sleep than many hours of crap sleep? You can have the perfect number of hours in bed, but if they are poor quality, broken hours then this alone would be detrimental to health, rather than 5-6 hours of deep, detoxifying sleep.

[sophie]

Surely it is more important to get quality, resorative sleep than many hours of crap sleep? You can have the perfect number of hours in bed, but if they are poor quality, broken hours then this alone would be detrimental to health, rather than 5-6 hours of deep, detoxifying sleep.

I agree with you, the quality of the sleep is far more important than the number of hours obtained.