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Long sleep and mortality: rationale for sleep restriction
Shawn D Youngstedt1, Daniel F Kripke
1Department of Psychiatry and Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging, University of California, San Diego, Mail Code 0667, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. syoungst@gwm.sc.edu
Sleep Medicine Reviews
|May 18, 2004
Summary
Sleeping longer than 8 hours nightly is linked to higher mortality risks, according to large-scale studies. Mild sleep restriction may offer survival benefits and treat insomnia, especially in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Sleep Medicine
- Epidemiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Epidemiologic studies consistently link long sleep duration (>8 hours) to increased mortality.
- American Cancer Society data indicates sleeping >7.5 hours is associated with ~5% of total mortality, even after controlling for 32 risk factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the hypothesis that mild sleep restriction could decrease mortality in long sleepers.
- To investigate potential benefits of sleep restriction, including antidepressant effects and insomnia treatment.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of large-scale epidemiologic data (e.g., American Cancer Society study).
- Review of existing evidence on the effects of sleep duration and sleep restriction.
Main Results:
- Long sleep duration is a consistent correlate of increased mortality.
- Sleep restriction may offer benefits such as antidepressant effects and is an effective treatment for primary insomnia.
Conclusions:
- While epidemiologic data cannot prove causation, evidence supports testing sleep restriction as an intervention for long sleepers.
- Sleep restriction may be particularly beneficial for older adults experiencing excessive time in bed and sleep fragmentation.
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