Scientists have discovered five important sleep behaviours that can add years to your life – and they’re oh-so-easy.
We’ve all heard that getting enough sleep is critical to staying healthy, both mentally and physically.
Researchers have discovered that getting enough sleep has a measurable impact on your life span.
When compared to those who had none or only one of the five quality sleep measures, men had 4.7 years longer life expectancy and women had 2.4 years longer life expectancy.
So, what are these five life-extension sleep qualities?
- Seven or eight hours sleep a night.
- Having difficulty falling asleep no more than twice a week.
- Having trouble staying asleep no more than twice a week.
- Not using any sleep medication.
- Feeling well rested when waking up at least five days a week.
The researchers expect that patients and physicians will begin discussing sleep as an important component of overall health evaluations.
‘If patients have all of these ideal sleep behaviours, they are more likely to live longer,’ said study co-author Dr Frank Qian.
The US researchers who conducted this new study discovered that young individuals who engage in more healthy sleep behaviours are less likely to die early.
Incidentally, the data also imply that poor sleep habits may be responsible for 8% of all fatalities.
Previous research has shown that receiving too little or too much sleep can harm the heart, and sleep apnoea has been linked to a variety of cardiac diseases, including excessive blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, and heart attacks.
‘I think these data emphasise that simply obtaining enough hours of sleep isn’t enough,’ said Dr. Qian.
‘You must have restful sleep and have little difficulty falling and staying asleep.’
The study’s researchers examined data from approximately 172,000 American individuals with an average age of 50.
Between 2013 and 2018, these people completed an annual health survey on sleep and sleep patterns. Participants were monitored for 4.3 years on average, during which time 8,681 died.
30% of the fatalities were caused by cardiovascular disease, 24% by cancer, and 46% by other causes.
Researchers evaluated the many quality sleep characteristics indicated by participants, and each component was allocated zero or one point, with a maximum of five points awarded for the best quality sleep.
The study discovered that those who had all five positive sleep variables were 30% less likely to die for any reason, 21% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease, 19% less likely to die from cancer, and 40% less likely to die from reasons other than heart disease or cancer.
The remaining deaths, according to Dr. Qian, were most likely caused by accidents, illnesses, or neurological disorders such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
‘If we can enhance sleep generally, and diagnosing sleep disorders is very essential, we may be able to prevent some of this early death,’ said the clinical resident in medicine at Harvard Medical School.
‘Even at a young age, if people can acquire these healthy sleep habits of getting enough sleep, sleeping without too many interruptions, and having overall good sleep hygiene, it may tremendously enhance their general long-term health.
‘It’s critical for young people to recognise that many health behaviours accumulate over time. It’s never too late to exercise or quit smoking, and it’s never too early to start. And we should talk about and evaluate sleep more frequently.’
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