Insomniac men with less than 6hrs of nightly sleep at increased mortality risk

According to a new study at Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, PA., insomniac men or those who sleep for just six or less hours every night may be at an increased risk of mortality.

Lead author Dr. Alexandros Vgontzas says that the findings of the study indicate that compared to people who sleep six hours or more, men with insomnia and less than six hours of nightly sleep were at highest risk of mortality.

The mortality rate of the sample was 19.6 percent for men versus 10.3 percent for women.

Based on their observations, the researchers suggest that people with insomnia seek evaluation and treatment from their medical provider.

The findings were presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies on Monday.