Studies have found that people over the age of 50 who get five hours or less of sleep per night may be at increased risk of two or more chronic diseases as they age.
of research published Oct. 18 in the journal PLOS Medicine.
Researchers at University College London (UCL) in the UK tracked the health status and sleep duration of 7,864 men and women who had worked in the London office of the British Civil Service for more than 30 years and had no chronic disease at the age of 50. Did.
Self-reported sleep duration was measured six times between 1985 and 2016, and data on sleep duration were extracted at ages 50, 60, and 70.
Incident multimorbidity is defined by researchers as having two or more of 13 chronic conditions, including diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and kidney disease.
The study found that people around the age of 50 who slept five hours or less were 20% more likely to be diagnosed with a chronic condition and 40% more likely to be diagnosed with two or more chronic conditions over 25 years. I understand. I slept 7 hours a night.
In addition, people aged 50, 60, and 70 who slept five hours or less had a 30-40% increased risk of two or more chronic diseases compared to those who slept up to seven hours. was related.
Americans don’t get enough sleep
The researchers also found that five hours or less of sleep at age 50 was associated with a 25% increased risk of death over 25 years of follow-up.
The authors of this study noted many issues, including the small number of cases in the long sleep category, the self-reported nature of the sleep data, and the possibility of reverse causation (error of confusing cause and effect or vice versa). We acknowledge that there are limits to It can arise from an undiagnosed condition.
“In this study, we observed that short sleep duration was associated with the risk of chronic disease and subsequent multimorbidity, but not with progression to death,” the authors said. “There was no convincing evidence that people over the age of 50 who sleep a lot have an increased risk of chronic disease. Our findings suggest an association between short sleep and multiple diseases.” .”
Approximately 1 in 3 Americans do not get enough sleep or rest at night or during the day, according to the report. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)an estimated 50 to 70 million Americans have a chronic or ongoing sleep disorder.
According to the CDC, lack of sleep can lead to physical and mental health problems and increase your chances of dying.
Experts say adults between the ages of 18 and 60 should get at least seven hours of sleep each night for optimal health. Saypeople aged 61-64 should take 7-9 hours, and those over 65 need about 7-8 hours a night.
follow
Katabella Roberts is a news writer for The Epoch Times, focusing primarily on US, world and business news.