If you do not get seven to nine hours of sleep at night habitually, read on for new medical information that could threaten your health in your future.
People aged 50 or 60 who regularly slept six hours or less each night were more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those whose regular shut-eye pattern ran the prescribed health seven or more hours of nightly sleep.
Results of one of the longest running trials with human participants have been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications. The study, which started in 1985, covered a time frame of over 35 years with 8,000 adult participants supported by the University College London.
A group of European researchers looked at the survey data and linked the data with dementia diagnoses in electronic health records. Since inception of the study, participants have been surveyed every four to five years.
Results as follows: 50-year olds who were sleeping six hours or less a night had a 22% higher risk of dementia later in life while 60-year olds were 37% more likely to develop the disorder.
The British civil servants reported their sleep duration, and some wore sleep trackers overnight to confirm that their self-reporting was accurate.
While the authors cautioned that the findings can’t establish whether less sleep causes dementia, they said the new study adds to sufficient shorter-term research showing that too little sleep is directly linked to the development of the disorder.
Other studies have shown that interruptions preventing people from getting a good night’s sleep are also linked to eventual onset of dementia.
Past research also suggests that obesity, high systolic blood pressure, and mental health disorders like depression increase the risk of sleep issues.
