Sleep is a major contributing factor to our health and wellbeing, that can sometimes be beyond our control.
Without enough sleep it makes day-to-day activities more difficult and has an impact on our quality of life.
However, if this is a regular occurrence, it can have a more lasting and dangerous effect.
New research from a team at Harvard Medical School in the US found that people who were able to maintain a “regular” and “healthy” sleep schedule had a 40 percent lower risk of early death compared to those who didn’t.
In line with US health body and NHS recommendations, healthy sleep in the study was considered to be between seven and nine hours a night, with less than seven hours counting as sleep deprivation.
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In a press release, study lead Joon Chung, explained: “Results suggest [the] benefits of expanding the public conversation on getting ‘a good night’s sleep’ and broadening this goal to getting many good nights of sleep, in a row, on weekdays and weekends.”
A poll conducted by YouGov in 2019 and 2020 revealed that 45 percent of Britons regularly sleep for less than seven hours a night.
Most people (32 percent) reported getting seven hours of sleep, while 16 percent were getting eight hours.
In the US, figures from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, show that a third of Americans are sleeping less than seven hours a night.
As part of the study, the Harvard team analysed existing data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).
This was a medical research study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that evaluated 1,750 participants over an average follow-up period of seven years.
Study participants were provided a watch-like device to wear on their wrists that monitored their sleep patterns.
In a review of the study, Medscape stated that of the participants, around 1,015 were classified as “regular-optimal” sleepers.
A total of 744 were considered “irregular-insufficient” sleepers.
Over the follow-up period, 176 people died.
Mr Chung commented: “If sleep were an eight-hour pill, it would be beneficial to take the full dose at regular times consistently.
“Getting adequate, regular sleep seems to be something that is good for all. I don’t know of anyone who wouldn’t benefit.”
The study results were presented at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies’ regular meeting in the US last week.
Previous research has linked sleep deprivation to a number of health issues including obesity, depression, heart disease and diabetes.
To improve your chances of a good night’s sleep, the NHS recommends:
- Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day
- Relaxing at least one hour before bed, for example, take a bath or read a book
- Making sure your bedroom is dark and quiet – use curtains, blinds, an eye mask or ear plugs if needed
- Exercising regularly during the day
- Making sure your mattress, pillows and covers are comfortable.
If you have been suffering from insomnia over a period of months and it is affecting your daily life it is worth speaking to your GP.
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