Less than five hours' sleep a night linked to higher risk of multiple diseases
"Getting less than five hours of sleep in mid-to-late life could be linked to an increased risk of developing at least two chronic diseases, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.
The research, published in PLOS Medicine, analysed the impact of sleep duration on the health of more than 7,000 men and women at the ages of 50, 60 and 70, from the Whitehall II cohort study.
Researchers examined the relationship between how long each participant slept for, mortality and whether they had been diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases (multimorbidity) -- such as heart disease, cancer or diabetes -- over the course of 25 years.
People who reported getting five hours of sleep or less at age 50 were 20% more likely to have been diagnosed with a chronic disease and 40% more likely to be diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases over 25 years, compared to people who slept for up to seven hours.
"As people get older, their sleep habits and sleep structure change. However, it is recommended to sleep for 7 to 8 hours a night -- as sleep durations above or below this have previously been associated with individual chronic diseases.
"Our findings show that short sleep duration is also associated with multimorbidity.
"To ensure a better night's sleep, it is important to promote good sleep hygiene, such as making sure the bedroom is quiet, dark and a comfortable temperature before sleeping. It's also advised to remove electronic devices and avoid large meals before bedtime. Physical activity and exposure to light during the day might also promote good sleep."
Jo Whitmore, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation said: "Getting enough sleep allows your body to rest. There are a host of other ways that poor sleep could increase the risk of heart disease or stroke, including by increasing inflammation and increasing blood pressure.
"This research adds to a growing body of research that highlights the importance of getting a good night's sleep."
*It can be so hard to get a good night's sleep in today's society. We all work or study so much that we are forced to stay awake when it can be more beneficial to go to bed. We never realize the impacts of not sleeping enough, so it's important to balance work and sleep. Do you think you get enough sleep? What habits could you change to help yourself get more sleep?*
#Rest #Sleep #GoodNight'sSleep
Please find the full article at Science Daily. 😴🌜🌝
@fruityPond7887 I know I don't. I haven't for as long as I can remember. I've tried so many different things. I try to watch how much time is spent in front of electronics at night - doing more arts and crafts stuff at times. There's alot of time spent outside during the day and many days I work really hard outside. The bedroom is dark and mostly quiet except for light white noise. There's a set time - the room is comfortable but it's often hard to get more then four hours a night and some nights it can be even less. In my defense - nightmares are often an issue or intrusive thoughts kick in just as I'm laying down so I do have things working against me but I'm open for any suggestions of something else that could be tried
Thank you for the post :)
@mytwistedsoul Oh geez I'm sorry you have such a hard time getting rest 😣 Have you talked to a doctor about this? I'm not a medical professional, but melatonin could possibly be helpful but I'm sure that's crossed your mind before. 😜 I hope you are able to get some rest soon. You deserve it! Thank you for sharing your experience with us! ❤️
@fruityPond7887 I have 😕 the doctor kind of scratches his head lol Melatonin gives me headaches and sleeping pills make anxiety worse. I guess sleep will come eventually one day - I just might be 90 when it happens lol
Thank you for the post though 🙂
@mytwistedsoul I definitely would keep trying to find a doctor that can help because there are people out there that won't give up on you and you deserve to know what's keeping you from sleeping! I'm sorry other methods haven't worked 😞 I'm sure it's so frustrating and I'm sorry you have to deal with this. I'm here for you.
@fruityPond7887 - It's crazy because Tesla, one of the world's greatest inventors, would only sleep for 2 hours a day. When he died, he was 86 years old. That's a long life to live on only 2 hours of sleep a day. Likewise, Leonardo Da Vinci also only slept for 2 hours a day. He died at 67 years old, which is a good lifespan for the medieval period. Tesla was such a genius, though. He invented many wonderful things. One thing he invented that fascinates me to this day is his electric dry bath, which he called "Cold Fire." He said that the dry bath could instantly throw dry or dead skin cells, dust, and everything else off of the body. He also claimed that it could reenergize you, that it was great for the muscles and the nerves, and that it could make the old feel young again. I think they both had some special revelation knowledge of just how many hours our brains really need to rest, and they both ate a really healthy diet of mostly veggies and rarely any meat.
@L1ly0ftheValley If only we could all be as successful as they were 😣 They must have had something different about them that let them function on that little sleep!
@fruityPond7887 - Yea, I wish I was as smart as Tesla for sure.