People who sleep more than 7 hours a day age differently?

People who get at least seven hours of sleep a night tend to have significantly better health later in life, according to a study published in BMC Public Health.

Researchers at Wenzhou Medical University in China recorded the sleep habits of 3,306 adults aged 45 and older in 2011, 2013, and 2015, and then had a health checkup five years later. The researchers divided the participants into five groups based on their sleep habits: long-term stable (regularly sleeping 8 to 9 hours), moderate stable (regularly sleeping 7 to 8 hours), decreasing (from an average of 8 hours or more to less than 6 hours), increasing (from an average of less than 6 hours to more than 8 hours), and short-term stable (regularly sleeping 5 to 6 hours).

The researchers defined successful aging as being free of major chronic diseases, free of physical disabilities, high cognitive function, good mental health, and actively participating in life.

The study found that those with long-term stability and moderate stability (17.1% and 18.1%, respectively) were more likely to meet the criteria for successful aging than those with decreasing (9.9%), increasing (10.6%), and short-term stability (8.8%). Specifically, only 455 participants (13.8%) met the criteria for successful aging. Of these, 307 (approximately two-thirds) consistently slept for seven hours or more per night.

“Compared to participants who maintained a stable sleep trajectory, participants with unstable and increasing trajectories were 36% and 52% less likely to age successfully, respectively,” the researchers said.

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If you want to age healthily

7 hours a day

This is even scarier if you want to grow old healthily.

Do you sleep 7 hours every day?