Boston (SmartAboutHealth) - A new report has revealed that added hours of sleep could mean big benefits for both medical residents and their patients.

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) put out guidelines in 2003 as they monitor medical residents.

According to the rules a medical resident cannot work more than 80-hours per week over a 4-week period on average, and cannot go over a 30-hour shift.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM), which is responsible for advising the government on science and technology, wants to alter a few things though.

They are pushing for medical residents to be able to sleep 5-hours for every 16-hour shift.

The feeling is that if they are allowed to do this, it will put themselves in a healthier position, and will also put patients in a safer position with better quality of care.