Research

Mixed

In older adults (aged 64+), nighttime sleep duration of 7-7.9 hours is associated with the lowest mortality risk, while sleeping ≥10 hours in men and ≥8 hours in women significantly increases all-cause mortality.

If you are over 64, aim for 7 to 7.9 hours of nighttime sleep. Sleeping significantly longer (10+ hours for men, 8+ for women) is linked to higher death risk, likely due to underlying health issues rather than the sleep itself. Taking an afternoon nap does not increase or decrease this risk, so you can nap without worry if it helps you feel rested.

GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
Compared to older adults sleeping 7~7.9 hours at night, those with longer sleeping time (≥ 10 hours in males and ≥ 8 hours in females) had a significantly higher risk of total mortality.
Tzuo-Yun Lan et al. · SLEEP · 2007

Why this rating

Prospective cohort study with large sample size (n=3079) and long follow-up (10 years), though observational and subject to residual confounding.

Source

Nighttime Sleep, Chinese Afternoon Nap, and Mortality in the Elderly

Tzuo-Yun Lan et al. · SLEEP · 2007

DOI 10.1093/sleep/30.9.1105

cohort · n=3079Cited 169×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →