Older people 'may need less sleep'

It may not come as a surprise to many of us to discover the latest results from a scientific study that found older people may need less sleep than youngsters.

The report published in Current Biology found that when kept in a contemporary bed in the dark for 16 hours ever day, young people sleep for nine hours compared to seven-and-a-half for older people.

Researchers said the most simple explanation is that older people need less sleep.

Elizabeth Klerman, of Brigham and Women's Hospital, said: "It's also possible that they sleep less even when given the opportunity for more sleep because of age-related changes in the ability to fall asleep and remain asleep."

The study also found that most people - and especially young ones - do not get enough sleep.

SleepEducation.com explains that older people often wake up more often during the night and sleep less deeply, which may explain why some choose to nap more often.

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