Older people 'may be able to cope with less sleep'

People in their 80s and 90s spend less time sleeping but they are not as likely as their younger counterparts to feel sleepy the next day, according to new research.

While all ages might feel they do not get enough shut-eye, those above 80 also get poorer quality sleep, said a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Reuters Health reports that the research found the total average nightly sleep for women in their 40s was 386 minutes, but this decreased to 341 minutes in women 80 years old or more.

A similar drop occurred in the male subjects, with those in their 40s getting 361 minutes but those over 80 spending 326 minutes in their bed.

The leader of the study said older age was not linked with sleep problems, but this demographic woke more times in the night.

Meanwhile, research reported in Australian newspaper the Age recently linked teenagers deprived of sleep to a higher risk of future heart attacks and higher blood pressure.

The study was originally published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

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