Sleeping fewer than five hours a night may pose health risks, study says

Adults age 50 and older who don’t get at least five hours of sleep at night are 40% more likely to be diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases. – Photo: 123rf.com

Adults age 50 and older who don’t get at least five hours of sleep at night are 40% more likely to be diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases, compared to those who sleep for up to seven hours, a new study has found.

Researchers with set out to analyse the impact of sleep duration on the health of nearly 8,000 British civil servants, ages 50, 60 and 70, over the course of 25 years.