Source: Fox News
Summary
A new study published in the journal Nature found that people who slept too little or too long showed signs of “older biology.” Researchers from Columbia University used global biobank data from about 500,000 people who disclosed self-reported sleep duration in a 24-hour period. Short and long sleep were both linked with signals of a higher biological age and a higher risk of future diseases and all-cause mortality. The study found that those with the “lowest biological age gap” were women who slept for 6.5 to 7.8 hours and men who slept for 6.4 to 7.7 hours.
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The advice sounds familiar.
This study is another reminder that sleep is a critical aspect of our overall health. While the exact amount of sleep needed can vary from person to person, the study’s findings suggest that sleeping too little or too long can have negative effects on our biological age. According to Dr. Saema Tahir, a sleep medicine physician, “sleep is really when the body does its most critical repair work, including cellular restoration, immune regulation, hormonal balance, and even clearing out metabolic waste from the brain.” The study’s results are a reminder that prioritizing good-quality sleep is essential for healthy aging.
It’s worth noting that the study’s findings are observational and do not prove that sleeping exactly six to eight hours will slow aging. Additionally, the study’s results should not be taken as a “rigid prescription,” as sleep is individualized and can vary from person to person.
The takeaway from this study is that sleep is not a “lifestyle luxury,” but a “biological necessity with measurable consequences for how we age and how healthy we are.”
This study is just another example of the ongoing research into the importance of sleep for our overall health.
As Dr. Tahir concluded, “consistent, good-quality sleep is one of the most accessible tools we have for healthy aging.”
It doesn’t require a prescription or expensive intervention — it requires prioritization.
Author: Evan Null
