Do you get enough sleep every day? Adequate sleep is anywhere between 7 to 9 hours every night. If you are unable to get enough sleep consistently, you might be at a huge risk of chronic diseases and even early death. Yes, that’s right. Lack of sleep can not only give you mental fatigue, but also harmfully affect your physical health, and lead to early death A 2019 study found that sleeping less than six hours can increase the risk of diseases and even early death. The findings of the study are published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.Poor sleep linked to increased risk of cancer and early death
The researchers found that middle-aged people who have conditions such as high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease face a higher risk of cancer and early death if they sleep less than six hours a day.“Our study suggests that achieving normal sleep may be protective for some people with these health conditions and risks. However, further research is needed to examine whether improving and increasing sleep through medical or behavioral therapies can reduce risk of early death” Julio Fernandez-Mendoza, Ph.D., lead author and associate professor at Pennsylvania State College of Medicine and sleep psychologist at the Sleep Research & Treatment Center of the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania, said in a statement. The study
To understand the link between poor sleep quality and risk of chronic diseases and even early death, the researchers analyzed data of more than 1,600 adults (20 to 74 years old, more than half women) from the Penn State Adult Cohort. The participants were categorized into two groups: those with stage 2 high blood pressure or Type 2 diabetes, and those with heart disease or stroke. They were studied in the sleep laboratory (1991-1998) for one night. The researchers then tracked their cause of death up to the end of 2016.The findings
The study findings were striking. They found that of the 512 people who passed away, one-third died of heart disease or stroke, and one-fourth died due to cancer. Participants with hypertension or diabetes who slept less than 6 hours had twice the increased risk of dying from heart disease or stroke. Those with heart disease or stroke who slept less than six hours had three times the risk of dying from cancer. The risk of early death for people with high blood pressure or diabetes was negligible if they slept for more than 6 hours.
Expert opinion According to the researchers, poor sleep is detrimental to health, increases the risk of many diseases, and also leads to early death. “Short sleep duration should be included as a useful risk factor to predict the long-term outcomes of people with these health conditions and as a target of primary and specialized clinical practices. I’d like to see policy changes so that sleep consultations and sleep studies become a more integral part of our healthcare systems. Better identification of people with specific sleep issues would potentially lead to improved prevention, more complete treatment approaches, better long-term outcomes, and less healthcare usage,” Fernandez-Mendoza said.