How well do you sleep?

If you’re over 50, says this review of a study by the International Longevity Center, you probably don’t trust sleeping pills. But half of you might be happy to use other techniques to get a decent night’s sleep (e.g., music, herbal remedies, OTC antihistamines, OTC sleep aids, other medications that make you drowsy, alcohol)

In case you’re like me and you like to know where you fit in the spectrum of “normal,” here are the stats on who’s getting a good sleep in the over-50 crowd:

  • 32% of respondents reported getting a good nightís sleep all seven days of the week.
  • 29% said they are able to get a good nightís sleep five or six days a week, while 26% reported getting a good nightís sleep from two to four nights.
  • 8% said they never get a good night’s sleep.
  • 20% reported getting less than six hours sleep each night.
  • 26% said they get between six but less thanand seven hours sleep, while 31% reported getting seven but less thanto eight hours sleep each night.

I’d like to see a comparison study of how the under-50s sleep and what they use to help.

But it’s also interesting to see that this Ph.D. argues with a lot of sleep studies about that 8-hour requirement (who sleeps that much anyway?–except maybe your teenagers). His conclusion is that more isn’t better, and that moderation (about 7 hours) will help you live longer.

Ho-hum. Moderation…again. Nothing new under the sun.