Sleeping Less Than 6 Hours Leads to Early Death

People who get less than six hours sleep per night have an increased risk of dying prematurely, researchers said on Wednesday.

Photo: Sleeping Less Than 6 Hours Leads to Early Death

Those who slumbered for less than that amount of time were 12 percent more likely to die early, though researchers also found a link between sleeping more than nine hours and premature death, AFP reports.

Warwick University researchers analysed data from studies involving more than 1.5million people. Professor Francesco Cappucio, head of the study, said: "Consistently sleeping six to eight hours per night may be optimal for health.

"The duration of sleep should be regarded as a behavioural risk factor, which can be influenced by modifications of people's physical and working environments."

The research reviewed 16 prospective studies from the UK, US, Europe and Asia which monitored people for up to 25 years. In total, more than 100,000 deaths were recorded during the observation periods, Scottish Daily Record informs.