Short sleep ups risk of premature death

People who sleep for less than six hours each night were 12 percent more likely to die prematurely than those who get the recommended six to eight hours.

The research notes that consistent overlong sleeping (over nine hours a night) can be a cause for concern. While, unlike short sleeping, overlong sleeping does not in itself increase the risk of death, it can be a significant marker of underlying serious and potentially fatal illnesses.

Whilst short sleep may represent a cause of ill-health, long sleep is believed to represent more an indicator of ill-health.