Lack of Sleep Linked to Early Death

UK and Italian researchers have found that those getting less than six hours sleep a night are 12% more likely to die over a 25 year period than those getting an ideal six to eight hours.

Professor Jim Horne, of the Loughborough Sleep Research Centre, said other factors may be involved rather than sleep per se, “Five hours is insufficient for most people and being drowsy in the day increases your risk of having an accident if driving or operating dangerous machinery."

Too much TV harmful for toddlers

A study of 1,300 children has found that the more TV a toddler watches the higher the likelihood that they will do badly at school and have poor health by the age of 10.

Dr Linda Pagani, of the University of Montreal, who led the research which was published in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, said: "Early childhood is a critical period for brain development and formation of behaviour. Common sense would suggest that television exposure replaces time that could be spent engaging in other developmentally enriching activities and tasks that foster cognitive, behavioural and motor development."

Exercise Outside - and boost your mental health

The study in the Environmental Science and Technology journal based on 1,250 people in 10 studies found that just five minutes of exercise in a green space such as a park can to lead to fast improvements in mood and self-esteem.

Study leader Jules Pretty, a researcher at the University of Essex, said “Employers, for example, could encourage staff in stressful workplaces to take a short walk at lunchtime in the nearest park to improve mental health."