Sleeping just five hours or less each night is associated with a higher likelihood of being diagnosed with more than one chronic disease, according to a new study. (poet of light, Shutterstock)
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TORONTO, Canada — A new study using data spanning 25 years has found that getting just five hours or less of sleep each night is more likely to be diagnosed with more than one chronic disease.
The study, which looked at the sleep duration of more than 7,000 participants aged 50, 60 and 70, was published Tuesday in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS Medicine.
The study found that those who reported regularly getting five hours or less of sleep at age 50 were 40 percent more likely to be diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases in the past 25 years, compared to those who slept nearly seven hours a night.
“Sleep habits and sleep patterns change as people age,” said Severine Sabia, of University College London’s Institute of Epidemiology and Health and lead author of the study, in a press release.
However, it is recommended that you take it for seven to eight hours each night, regardless of age.
Sabia noted that previous research has suggested that sleep durations above or below this recommended level may be associated with individual chronic diseases.
A separate US study published last week found that people who slept less than seven hours had a higher prevalence of heart disease risk factors, and poor sleep was common among Americans.
Sabia and her team set out to investigate whether there is an association between less sleep and the risk of developing multiple chronic conditions, and the researchers say that’s exactly what they found.
“Our findings suggest that short sleep duration is also associated with multimorbidity,” Sabia said. Said.
Multimorbidity simply means the co-occurrence of two or more chronic conditions. It’s something that becomes more likely as we age, but researchers have expressed concern as it’s on the rise in some areas.
“Multiple disease is on the rise in high-income countries, and more than half of older adults now have at least two chronic diseases,” Sabia said. Said. “This proves to be a major public health challenge, as multimorbidity is associated with high healthcare utilization, hospitalizations and disability.”
For this study, the researchers looked at data from the Whitehall II cohort study, a database of more than 10,000 people working in the London offices of the British Civil Service at the start of the data collection phase in 1985.
Participants then reported for follow-ups to keep track of their health as they aged.
They self-reported on their sleep duration about six times between 1985 and 2016. The researchers looked at this data, and isolated sleep time data from participants aged 50, 60, and 70, looking at about 7,000 participants in total.
They then looked at whether these participants had any chronic conditions and, if so, when they developed.
Chronic disease definitions included diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, liver disease, depression, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and arthritis.
Supporting previous research on individual chronic disease risk, sleeping five hours or less at age 50 was associated with a 20% risk of being diagnosed with a single chronic disease, compared to those who received the recommended hours.
They found that people aged 50, 60 and 70 who reported regularly sleeping five hours or less had a 30-40% increased risk of multiple diseases compared to people who slept for about seven hours a night.
They also found that those who reported getting five hours of sleep at age 50 were 25 percent more likely to die later at some point during the 25-year follow-up period—an association that may be related to an increased risk of chronic disease. The researchers explained that he may be responsible for the death.
But does sleeping longer than recommended have any relation to chronic diseases?
According to the study, that may happen as we get into the 60s and 70s, but maybe not before.
When the researchers looked at whether there were any adverse health consequences from sleeping nine hours or more, there was an association between the incidence of multiple diseases at age 60 and age 70.
However, they did not find a clear association between long sleep times at age 50 and multimorbidity in healthy people.
The researchers suggest that if participants already had a chronic illness by age 50, those who slept longer had a 35% increased risk of developing another illness, perhaps due to underlying health conditions.
This research adds to a growing body of research that emphasizes the importance of getting a good night’s sleep.
–Jo Whitmore, British Heart Foundation
“Getting enough sleep allows your body to rest,” said Jo Whitmore, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, who was not involved in the research.
“There are a number of other ways poor sleep can increase the risk of heart disease or stroke, including by increasing inflammation and increasing blood pressure,” he added.
“This research adds to a growing body of research that emphasizes the importance of getting a good night’s sleep.”
Getting a good night’s sleep requires “good sleep hygiene, such as making sure the bedroom is quiet, dark, and a comfortable temperature before going to sleep,” Sabia said.
“It’s also recommended to remove electronic devices and avoid large meals before bed. Physical activity and exposure to light during the day can also promote good sleep.”
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