We have been told since we were small children that getting a good night’s sleep is important. Not only does rest help our body repair itself, it leaves us more alert to accomplish more throughout the day. It seems that sleep is our friend. Yet we all know stories of famous folk, some of them geniuses, who seemed to tolerate a lot less shuteye. What are we to make of these people?
New studies, cited in an article today on Yahoo news, support the theory that we may need less sleep than commonly thought. When looking at rates of certain diseases, researchers now find that about 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 hours — round that to about seven — appears to be a good number.
This may be good news for us in today’s sleep-deprived society. But remember, this does not give you carte blanche to check e-mail at 3 AM.
Source: Getting Eight Hours of Sleep a Night? You Might Just Want to Cut Back Beth Greenfield July 22, 2014 https://www.yahoo.com/health/getting-eight-hours-of-sleep-a-night-you-might-just-92542650632.html