Scientists have always told us that having regular resting habits is the perfect solution for a healthy lifestyle.
But what emerged from a study conducted at the University of Stockholm seems to contradict these beliefs: recovering the hours of sleep lost during the week by sleeping in at weekends, actually extends life! Could that be true?
The risks of scarce sleep!
Scientific research has now proven that mortality risk is higher in people who sleep 5 hours or less each night compared to those who rest at least 7 hours a night.
The importance of sleep for our longevity
Scientist and author of the research, Dr. Torbjörn Åkerstedt from Stockholm University, reminds it as the premise to the results obtained from his research: sleeping and resting well for the amount of time necessary for our body to recharge itself, is essential for living a healthy life.
Research results published by the “Journal of Sleep Research”
The gathered data builds on a study that involved about 38,000 people: scientists collected elements regarding habits, lifestyles and health status of the subjects examined for a period of more than 10 years so as to determine the long-term effects of resting habits.
The results that amazed everyone!
Adults aged less than 65 who slept 5 hours or less, 7 days out of 7, increased by about 65% the likelihood of incurring in some damage to their health. So the less you sleep, the more you put your life at risk, but this is something we already knew.
However, the figure that surprised everyone is related to those who routinely slept 5 hours or less during the week and then granted themselves a rest of at least 7 hours at weekends: the odds of incurring in risks for their health didn’t increase.
So what’s the best choice for your wellness?
Dr. Peirson from Oxford University, an expert in the study of our biological clock, reminds us that physiological needs vary from individual to individual: perhaps we can fix our bad resting habits by compensating and recovering the hours of lost sleep, but the only certain data, which years of scientific studies have made clear, is that sleeping too much or too little is harmful to our health.
So let’s do the math: sleeping 7/8 hours each night, respecting more or less the same hours, remains the best choice to make.
