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Posted on Sep 30, 2002, 7 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
A team of US scientists believe that women live longer than men simply because they are better sleepers. Dr Alexandros Vgontzas and his colleagues at Pennsylvania State University found that women sleep much more soundly than men and are less affected by the effects that sleep deprivation has on the body.
A team of US scientists believe that women live longer than men simply because they are better sleepers. Dr Alexandros Vgontzas and his colleagues at Pennsylvania State University found that women sleep much more soundly than men and are less affected by the effects that sleep deprivation has on the body. Study results showed that women have roughly 70 minutes of deep sleep per night, whereas men manage just 40 minutes of deep sleep. Vgontzas believes that women may have evolved so that they can tolerate disturbed nights and long-term sleep deprivation in order to look after demanding babies. He also suspects that the ability to cope with sleep deprivation could help to explain why women live several years longer than men.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.bbc.co.uk on the 15th July 2002
