A study recently published in the journal Sleep noted an increased mortality risk in men who have insomnia with objective short sleep duration, and the risk is greater than previously estimated.

1,741 men and women randomly selected from central Pennsylvania were studied in the sleep laboratory and Pennsylvania State University and followed-up for 14 years. Insomnia was defined as subjects having a complaint of insomnia for at least a year. Additionally, subjects were divided into groups of “normal” or “short” sleep duration (more or less than six hours of sleep a night). When adjusting for other health conditions, it was found that male insomnia sufferers in the “short” sleep duration group had a 21% higher mortality rate! Insomnia and short sleep was not associated with an increased mortality rate in women. This research shows how important it is for people with insomnia, especially men, to get treatment for their condition.

Read the full post on Insomnia and Increased Mortality Rates.

A recent report on ABC News noted that American’s most common complaint about sleep is that they don’t get enough of it, and this can lead to serious health consequences. Researchers reported that a lack of sleep is connected to cardiovascular disease and hypertension. It also compromises your immune system, contributes to obesity and can impair your mental judgment. A new study from Sweden reported that heart attacks rose 5% during the springtime when clocks were changed and people adjusted to losing an hour of sleep; heart attacks dropped in the fall when the clocks were turned back and an extra hour was added.

Read the full post on Too Little Sleep Most Common Sleep Complaint Among Americans.

At any age, getting enough sleep boosts your overall health. Likewise, too little sleep can leave you drowsy and unable to concentrate, increase your risk for diabetes and heart problems, impair your memory and limit physical performance.

With that being said, how much sleep do you need? Research varies, but a “rule of thumb” consensus has developed based upon age groups. In general:

Read the full post on How Many Hours of Sleep You Need.