Korean researchers recently published a study in the Korean Journal of Family Medicine, showing a connection between sleep duration and stress levels.
Researchers collected data for nearly 9,000 Koreans, measuring sleep duration, depression symptoms, and stress severity. They then divided the individuals into 7 groups based on how much they regularly slept:
- 4 or fewer hours of sleep per night
- 5 hours of sleep per night
- 6 hours of sleep per night
- 7 hours of sleep per night
- 8 hours of sleep per night
- 9 hours of sleep per night
- 10 or more hours of sleep per night
What they discovered was that those with 5 hours of sleep or less had poorer mental health than those who slept for at least 7 hours or more each night:
- Higher depression symptoms
- Higher stress severity
- Lower life quality related to anxiety or depression
The researchers concluded that 7 or 8 hours is an appropriate length of time to sleep every night:
“Our results suggest that an appropriate sleep duration of 7 or 8 hours (and possibly 9 hours) per night for adults, as stated in recent consensus recommendations, and maintaining a healthy sleep duration may be important for maintaining mental health.”
Getting enough sleep is critical for maintaining our mental health.