New research suggests the ideal sleep duration is between 6.4 and 7.8 hours per night, but obsessing over exact numbers may be counterproductive.
A study published in Nature this month, drawing on data from the UK Biobank's half a million volunteers, indicates that both too little and too much sleep are linked to accelerated organ aging. The sweet spot, according to the research, falls within the 6.4 to 7.8 hour range, with women needing slightly more sleep than men.
However, the takeaway isn't to micromanage your sleep with smart rings and strict routines. If you're checking your smartwatch for a precise score or following elaborate bedtime rituals like cherry juice and blue-light avoidance, you might be missing the point. The real secret to good sleep might be simply not worrying about it so much.