YOU SNOOZE YOU LOSE
How sleeping too much could INCREASE your risk of an early death
Blokes who snoozed for extended periods may increase their risk of having three conditions linked to premature death
SLEEPING for more than ten hours each night — or fewer than six — may increase the risk of early death, a study has revealed.
It found that women who kip for that long were 40 per cent more likely to have at least three health conditions linked to premature mortality.
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These include a large waist, high blood pressure, elevated levels of fat or sugar in the blood and low good cholesterol. These can increase the chances of dying prematurely from heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes and cancer.
Blokes who snoozed for extended periods may increase their risk of having three conditions by 28 per cent.
Researchers from Seoul National University, in South Korea, analysed data on 133,608 adults aged 40 to 69.
Men who slept for fewer than six hours were 12 per cent more likely to have at least three of the "high-risk" conditions.
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But women short sleepers — such as the late former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who got by on just four hours’ kip a night — did not suffer in the same way.
They were only nine per cent more likely to be tubby around the middle, with no increased risk of anything else.
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Sleep duration is believed to affect hormones linked to appetite, calorie intake and energy use.
Study leader Claire Kim said: “To promote overall well-being, sleep guidelines recommend adults sleep seven to eight hours per night.”
Eleven per cent of men slept for less than six hours, while 1.5 per cent kipped for more than ten hours.
The figures for women were 13 per cent and 1.7 per cent respectively.
The findings are published in the journal BMC Public Health.
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