Move over eight! Seven is the new magic number when it comes to the optimal amount of sleep, according to a committee of experts.
A number of doctors were brought together by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and Sleep Research Society (SRS) for a 12-month review discussing 5,314 published articles on scientific sleep research.
They found that seven hours of sleep every night, on a regular basis, is the ideal amount of sleep for healthy adults ages 18 to 60.
Although, seven hours may not be the best amount of time for every individual because certain behavioral, health, environmental, and genetic factors can affect how much sleep a specific person may need.
“This is the recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult,” said David Dinges, director of the Unit for Experimental Psychiatry at Penn Medicine. “The recommendation does not necessarily apply to sleep need in people with disorders, diseases, and pathologies that can affect sleep.”
Experts also claim that sleeping less than seven hours per night on a regular basis has been associated with health problems, including weight gain, obesity, hypertension, depression, and decreased life expectancy.
