Health risk of sleeping less than 6 hours

GETTING less than six hours sleep can raise the risk of a stroke or heart disease, a study warns.

The effect was stronger in those with metabolic syndrome – a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, the research found.

Those with metabolic syndrome were twice as likely to die of heart disease or stroke if they failed to get more than six hours of sleep, according to the US study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

For those who got more than six hours, the risk was 1.5 times higher. Lead author Dr Julio Fernandez-Mendoza, of Penn State College, said: ‘Consulting with a clinician if you have insufficient sleep is important if you want to lower your risk of death.’