It is a common question as to what is the optimum sleep duration?  

  1. The two most common sleep disturbances are insomnia, likely present in 5-15% of the population, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), estimated in 10% of men and 3% of women <50 years of age.
  2. Based on both short sleep duration (<7 hours per night) and long sleep duration (>9 hours per night) disorders as well as OSA and insomnia are associated with poor health risk and outcomes.
  3. In general, compared to patients with normal sleep duration, sleep restriction studies report increased caloric intake.
  4. Sleep behaviour deserves attention