Research published in the journal Nature reveals that both insufficient and excessive sleep can accelerate biological ageing. The study, which examined over 500,000 participants from the UK Biobank, found that optimal sleep duration ranges from 6.4 to 7.8 hours per night. This U-shaped relationship indicates that sleeping less than 6 hours or more than 8 hours is associated with faster ageing across various organs, including the heart and brain. Experts, including Yue Leng, PhD, emphasize that poor sleep is linked to diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Additionally, Michelle Drerup, PsyD, notes that long sleep durations might signal health issues rather than being inherently harmful. For instance, longer sleep has been correlated with depression in older adults. The CDC recommends a minimum of 7 hours of sleep for adults aged 18 to 60. To improve sleep quality, maintaining regular sleep schedules and minimizing screen time before bed are advised.