Why People Are Turning To The 7:1 Method For Better Sleep—And How To Try It Yourself

We're officially a nation of struggling snoozers, with the average Brit reporting just three 'good' nights of sleep per week (and almost half of us saying bad kip leaves us feeling stressed, irate or anxious)—which is probably why the 7:1 sleep method is getting so much attention right now.

As much as we love the creeping in of lighter evenings, and therefore brighter earlier mornings, many of us are still finding it tough to properly switch off, but experts are now suggesting that aiming for a solid seven hours of sleep per night, and keeping a bedtime that is as consistent as possible (e.g. it varies by no more than one hour per night), is the key to training your body to restore itself.

Fans of the 7:1 sleep method are so confident in it, that it's even been reported that if you can crack the pattern it could extend your life by as many as four years. (!)

The 7:1 sleep method's efficiency was recently uncovered in a data deep-dive by the London School of Economics and Vitality, and Dr. Nighat Arif explained the findings in an Instagram post, "A huge study from the London School of Economics and Vitality found that just one habit—getting seven hours of sleep at roughly the same time each night—could cut your risk of early death by nearly a quarter and add up to four years to your life."

Study authors add: "Vitality's data shows that while getting enough sleep is important for good health, consistency of bedtime is an even stronger predictor of sleep-related risk.

"Falling asleep consistently within a one-hour bedtime window lowers mortality risk and in-hospital admissions by an estimated 31% and 9%, respectively."

So, there you have it: we should all be aiming for seven hours of sleep, beginning no later than one hour beyond your allotted bedtime. Happy dreaming, one and all!

This article originally appeared on Cosmopolitan.com/UK. Minor edits have been made by the Cosmo.ph editors.