Do you have these five low-risk sleep habits for longer lasting life?
Improving sleep patterns can have positive, life-lengthening benefits - according to new research being presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session with World Congress of Cardiology. Data reveals that those who cultivate beneficial sleeping habits are statistically less likely to succumb to health issues prematurely; furthermore, an estimated 8% deaths resulting from any cause could be attributable to poor sleep patterns.
Observing a distinct linear correlation between the degree to which someone benefits from quality sleep and their reduction of all causes and cardiovascular mortality, Frank Qian, MD an internal medicine resident physician at Beth Israel Deaconess remarked on this fascinating phenomenon.
"I think these findings emphasize that just getting enough hours of sleep isn't sufficient. You really have to have restful sleep and not have much trouble falling and staying asleep."
To reach their findings, Qian and colleagues incorporated data from 172,321 people (average age 50 and 54% women) who participated in the National Health Interview Survey between 2013 to 2018. This nationally representative survey by the CDC enables researchers to monitor the health of Americans over time; it also probes into sleep habits and determines if they might be affecting life expectancy. So far no study has utilized this approach in order to investigate whether multiple sleep behaviors have an impact on longevity, with this study research is believed to be a pioneering contribution!
Approximately two-thirds of participants in the study self-reported their racial identity as being White, 14.5% Hispanic, 12.6% Black and 5.5% Asian; as researchers were able to link these individuals to National Death Index records (through December 31st 2019), they could analyze any associations between individual sleep factors and all-cause mortality rate or cause specific mortality rates in this population of 8,681 subjects followed for a median 4.3 years duration (2,610 deaths (30%) from cardiovascular disease, 2,052 (24%) from cancer and 4,019 (46%) were due to other causes).
Researchers analyzed the five key factors of quality sleep using a low-risk sleep score they created based on responses collected during the survey. Each factor was assigned a 0-1 point for each, resulting in a maximum of five points - indicating the highest quality sleep:
1) ideal sleep duration of seven to eight hours a night
2) difficulty falling asleep no more than two times a week
3) trouble staying asleep no more than two times a week
4) not using any sleep medication
5) feeling well rested after waking up at least five days a week.
Improving sleep quality is essential to maintaining an optimal level of health. If people display all of the ideal sleep behaviors, they are more likely to live longer. Therefore, identifying and treating any potential sleep disorders - especially those associated with premature mortality - is imperative for preventing premature death.
For the assessment, researchers took into account other variables that could have increased mortality risk, including lower socioeconomic status, smoking and alcohol consumption along with medical conditions. Compared to individuals who had one or zero favorable sleep qualities, those who possessed all five displayed a 30% reduction in likelihood of death for any reason; 21% less likely from cardiovascular issues; 19% less likely from cancerous disease; and up to 40% lesser likelihoods of succumbing through different causes. Qian commented that these additional fatalities are probably attributable to accidents, infections or neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia and Parkinson's disease; however, further investigation is needed.
Compared with those with none or only a single measure in the low-risk range, individuals who reported having all five favorable sleep qualities exhibited an average life expectancy increase of 4.7 years for men and 2.4 years for women; such discrepancies suggest further exploration is needed to elucidate why men were afforded double the increase in longevity compared to females who possessed similar levels of sleeping quality measures.
"Even from a young age, if people can develop these good sleep habits of getting enough sleep, making sure they are sleeping without too many distractions and have good sleep hygiene overall, it can greatly benefit their overall long-term health, ... It's important for younger people to understand that a lot of health behaviors are cumulative over time. Just like we like to say, 'it's never too late to exercise or stop smoking,' it's also never too early. And we should be talking about and assessing sleep more often."
-Frank Qian, MD
These sleeping behaviors can be easily inquired about during clinical encounters, providing researchers with an opportunity to initiate conversations pertaining to overall health assessments and disease management planning.
Though the investigation yielded valuable insights, it must be acknowledged that participant self-reports were utilized. Additionally, information pertaining to the types of sleep aid or medicine used and frequency of use was not disclosed; thus future research is needed to better comprehend if these lifespan gains always continue as people age and investigate any appreciable sex differences that may have arisen between participants.
Studies have demonstrated that a lack of sleep or excessive slumber can be detrimental to cardiovascular health. Moreover, it is well-documented that obstructive sleep apnea - a condition in which someone experiences pauses in respiration during slumber - may lead to the development of high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation and even heart attacks.
Source: ScienceDaily