American women say they are desperate for more sleep, but a new study conducted by University of California, San Diego indicates that the secret to longevity lies with sleeping at least five hours a night and not over eight.

Following up 14 years later on 444 of the original 459 women involved in the Women’s Health Initiative, researchers were surprised to determine that the best survival was observed among women who slept 5 to 6.5 hours, or less than commonly recommended by doctors.

For women sleeping less than 7 1/2 hours a night, we have reason to worry less about our health.

The new findings are interesting when compared to sleep-related research published three weeks ago.