Turns out, sleeping for only five hours can be harmful to health — so, for how long should you?

According to a new study, published in PLoS Medicine, sleeping for just five hours every night may be bad for health. The study further noted that those who slept five hours or less, and were aged 50 years, had a “30 per cent greater risk of multiple ailments than those who slept seven hours”. In fact, the study which analysed 7,864 UK civil servants’ sleep suggested that shorter sleep at 50 was also associated with a higher risk of death during the study period, mainly linked to the increased risk of chronic disease.
The intention of the study was to gauge sleep‘s association with “multimorbidity, common in older adults, which remains poorly understood”. Examining data from the Whitehall II cohort study to extract sleep duration at ages 50, 60, and 70, the research tracked multimorbidity over a 25-year follow-up period.

What is a sleep cycle?
Taking a cue from the research, it is paramount to understand a normal sleep cycle. During a normal sleep period, one progresses through four to five sleep cycles, according to sleepfoundation.org. “Each sleep cycle is made up of four individual sleep stages. The four stages of sleep are further broken down into two categories: rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep. These categories are important because what happens during REM sleep is dramatically different from what happens during non-REM stages,” it read.
The first three stages of sleep are composed of non-REM activity such that “it’s easiest to be awoken during these first two stages”, the body is in deep sleep in stage 3 which is the “recovery mode”. This is where “overall brain activity slows and shows a tell-tale pattern of pulses of activity1 that are believed to help prevent unwanted awakenings” it noted.
The site also mentioned that the fourth stage is REM sleep. “During REM periods, brain activity shoots back up to levels similar to when you’re awake – which explains why REM is associated with the most intense dreams. While breathing and heart rate increase during REM sleep, most muscles are paralysed, which keeps us from acting out those vivid dreams,” it added.
Notably, each sleep cycle takes between 70 and 120 minutes.
Why is sleep essential?
According to sleepfoundation.org, sleep allows the brain and body to slow down and engage in processes of recovery, promoting better physical and mental performance the next day and over the long-term.
Experts recommend seven or eight hours of sleep every night. “Currently, owing to stress and hectic schedules, about 35 per cent people fail to get a good night’s sleep. This, in turn, tends to affect their health,” said Dr Satish Bhalgat, dent specialised in sleep dentry, ACI Cumballa Hill Hospital.
Ensure you sleep for at least seven hours every night (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)
*Sleep reduces the chances of heart attacks and strokes.
*Sleep is not only essential for your physical well-being but your mental well-being too. “A good sleep routine will help you tackle depression, stress, and even inflammation. It will also enhance the function of your immune system,” said Dr Ravi Shekhar Jha, director and head, pulmonology, Fortis Hospitals, Faridabad. Adding, Dr Aniket Mule, consultant internal medicine, Wockhardt Hospitals Mira Road said that one may encounter memory problems, poor cognitive health, weight gain, low sex drive, heart issues, poor decision-making, lack of judgment, irritability, agitation, loneliness, skin problems, weak immune system, depression, increased appetite, and even eye bags.
*It can reduce the risk of road and work-related accidents.
*Tackle ghrelin and leptin, which are responsible for appetite. Insufficient sleep can lead to cravings and binge eating.

Dr Jha urged people to aim for “uninterrupted eight hours of sleep”. “Constant lack of adequate sleep is associated with risk of heart attack, anxiety, diabetes, hypertension, reduced memory, and stroke. It may also lead to obesity and depression,” Dr Jha told while explaining that “reason of inadequate sleep, in most situations, is curable”. “Science has proved that if someone sleeps for 7-8 hours per day and doesn’t wake up in between, the concentration and efficiency improves significantly,” he added.
It is imperative to speak to an expert and improve your sleep pattern, Dr Mule advised. “Get sound sleep of at least 7-8 hours to function at your best. It will keep you happier and healthy, maintain normal blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart attack, and diabetes, sharpen your memory, boost metabolism, improve immunity, increase productivity at work, and perk up your mood,” Dr Mule told this outlet.
Dr Vikrant Shah, consulting physician, intensiv, and infectious disease special, Zen Multispeciality Hospital Chembur shared a few tips that can help
*To sleep well, follow the same sleep and wake-up timings.*Try to avoid any durbance while sleeping. Do not use any electronic gadgets or watch television before sleeping.*You can read or len to soft music before sleeping.*Try to maintain a good room temperature. This will help to induce sleep. Avoid too much lighting and durbance in the room. Try to block light using curtains or blinds. The room needs to be dark and calm.*Use a proper mattress and pillow, as recommended the doctor.*Do not have coffee, alcohol, or sodas just before hitting the sack.*Try to avoid heavy meals just before sleeping as they can give you acidity.*Exercise and eat a well-balanced diet to sleep peacefully.*Try to stay stress-free while sleeping or do not overthink. You can meditate, too.
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