While getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night is ideal, some people believe that five or fewer hours is enough to “get by.” But is it true? Researchers at NYU’s School of Medicine set out to see whether this myth, along with several others, was valid or if it negatively affects sleep habits and overall health.

The study, published in the April 2019 edition of the online journal Sleep Health, reviewed more than 8,000 websites to identify and investigate the 20 most common thoughts about sleep.

Using a team of sleep medicine experts, the NYU team ranked the assumptions based on whether each could be classified as a myth or something supported by scientific evidence. Additionally, they explained the harm that those classified as myths could cause.

“Sleep is a critical part of health and can affect everything from our mood to how our organs function to our cognitive ability,” said Dr. David Buck, a Seattle epigenetic orthodontist.

The researchers hoped to dispel dangerous sleep myths to help promote better sleep habits and improve health.

Getting by on five hours of sleep or less was one of the top sleep myths investigated by the study authors. The researchers were able to dispel this myth based on scientific evidence and determined this myth has the most severe risk for overall health.

“Not getting enough sleep each night adds up and puts you at risk of developing serious health issues, including diabetes and high blood pressure,” Buck said.

Another myth is that snoring is harmless.

“While snoring is often held as an annoying habit, it can be a sign of a more serious issue, such as sleep apnea,” Buck said.

More than 20 million people in the United States are living with a form of sleep apnea, many of whom are undiagnosed.

“Sleep apnea causes breathing to start and stop during sleep, causing stress on the brain and the body,” Buck said.

The thought that having a drink before bedtime can help relax you to sleep was also identified as an unhealthy myth. Drinking alcohol before bed was deemed harmful because it impairs the body’s ability to reach levels of deep sleep needed for the body to function correctly.

“When the body does not achieve deep sleep, body systems such as hormone regulation do not occur,” Buck said.

Source: NYU Langone Health/NYU School of Medicine. “Common sleep myths compromise good sleep and health.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16 April 2019.