You might be sleeping too much

New findings in the United States suggest that humans only need a maximum of 6.5 hours of sleep per night, contradicting guidance that adults need to spend between six and nine hours slumbering per night.

The researchers suggest that the quality of sleep is more important than the amount of time spent resting, meaning somewhere between 4.5 hours and 6.5 hours is enough if the sleep is of good quality.

The study also found that people who were not getting enough or too much rest were at a higher risk of cognitive decline.

Psychology lecturer Greg Elder wrote for The Conversation: "The study showed that sleeping longer than 6.5 hours was associated with cognitive decline over time - this is low when we consider that older adults are recommended to get between seven and eight hours of sleep every night."

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