Ryan Wilks
You may have heard your parents frequently emphasise the importance of getting a full ‘eight hours’ of sleep each night, and it’s possible that they’re onto something.
A doctor recently spoke out and warned us of the potentially deadly consequences of having between four and five hours of sleep per night.
Whilst a heavy night out with your friends or a night in watching Netflix for hours on end may seem appealing it may not be so exciting after you realise the effects that it is actually having on your brain.
“Do you think that you can survive on only four to five hours of sleep every night?” Dr Friederich asks his followers.
Hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, this accomplished eye care specialist spoke out and emphasised that insufficient sleep might result in a premature demise.
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“And so studies have shown again and again that the optimal amount of sleep is between six and eight hours a night, preferably at least seven,” he explained in a viral video posted on his TikTok page.
“If you go more than nine hours it’s also bad for your health. But sleeping less than five is the worst thing you could possibly be doing.
“Increased mortality all across the board, cardiovascular disease, all types of diseases are associated with sleeping that little.”
@drdanfriederich If you want an early death, sleep 4-5 hours a night 😴 . . . #eyehealth #optometrist #doctorsofinstagram #eyehealthtips #dryeyes #health #fitness #healthyrecipes #optometry #eyewear #optician #healthspo #fitlifestyle #optical #wellness #healthychoices #fitnesslifestyle #healthylife #fitspiration #healthyliving #fitfood #gym #fit #healthyfood #healthylifestyle #livehard #75hard #nutrition #sleeptips ♬ original sound – drfriederich
Research conducted in 2022 has also indicated that having fewer than five hours of sleep per night can elevate the likelihood of premature death in older individuals by twenty-five per cent.
These conclusions, derived from a study conducted by University College London, centred around a sample of 7,864 individuals aged 50 and above in the United Kingdom.
Dr Severine Sabia, the primary author of the study, said: “Multimorbidity (the presence of 2 or more long-term health conditions) is on the rise in high-income countries and more than half of older adults now have at least two chronic diseases.
She went on to highlight the significant predicament this poses for public health, as multimorbidity is linked to extensive utilisation of healthcare services, frequent hospitalisations, and increased disability rates.
“This is proving to be a major challenge for public health, as multimorbidity is associated with high healthcare service use, hospitalisations and disability.
“As people get older, their sleep habits and sleep structure change. However, it is recommended to sleep for seven to eight hours a night – as sleep durations above or below this have previously been associated with individual chronic diseases.
“Our findings show that short sleep duration is also associated with multimorbidity.”
WebMD has also supported this claim, adding that there is a ‘correlation between poor quality sleep and/or insufficient sleep with a variety of diseases’.
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Viewers have taken to the comments to react to the doctor’s advice.
One person jokes: “It’s either 3 [hours] or 11 [hours] take it or leave it.”
Someone else pens: “Yikesss so I’m going to die early either way. I either sleep too much or too little.”
“Well this my sign to go to sleep earlier,” adds a third.
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