How dangerous is sleeping five hours or less to your health?
Researchers say that people over the age of 50 may be less likely to develop a number of medical problems if they get at least five hours of sleep. Health problems can affect sleep, but poor sleep itself can be an early sign of medical problems.
There is evidence that sleep helps the body and mind to refresh as well as repair and restore itself, but it is still unclear why sleep for a particular period of time may be important.
The study, published in the Public Library of Science (PLOS) Medicine journal, looked at the health and sleep of UK civil servants.All 8,000 participants were asked about how much sleep they got each night.
Some people even wore watches with sleep trackers on their wrists.They were then asked about serious diseases and disorders such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease during the past two decades.
People who were about 50 years old and slept five hours or less had a 30 percent higher risk of many diseases than those who slept seven hours.Less sleep at age 50 was also associated with a higher risk of death, primarily due to an increased risk of serious illnesses.
Therefore, according to researchers from University College London and Paris-Sette University, experts generally recommend seven to eight hours of sleep.
Why do we sleep?
Scientists still don't know for sure, but it's clear that sleep helps the brain strengthen memory and is essential for improving mood, focus and internal systems.
In addition, sleep also gives the brain a chance to clear itself.
Tips for good sleep
• Tire yourself by keeping yourself busy and active during the day, but slow down as bedtime approaches
• Avoid sleeping during the day
• Create a good nighttime routine and make sure your bedroom is comfortable and conducive to sleep. Thick curtains or black blinds, comfortable room temperature and bed are essential while using smart phones etc. in bed should be avoided.
• Stop consuming caffeine or alcohol before bedtime
• Do not force or worry if you cannot sleep. Instead, get up and do something relaxing like reading a book and go back to bed when you feel sleepy
• If you work night shifts, take a short nap before starting the night shift. If you're pulling night shifts, take some rest during the day to get through the day and then go to bed early that evening.
• Professor Dirk Yan Dyck, director of the Surrey Sleep Center told BBC News: 'This work reiterates that not only is too little sleep bad for us, it's generally unhealthy, but for some people it's Can be fine.
• He said: 'The big question is why some people sleep less. What is the reason for this and can we do anything about it? Sleep is a lifestyle that can be changed to some extent.
• Long-term poor sleep can have negative effects on mental and physical health.
• Doctors now rarely prescribe sleeping pills because they can have serious side effects and become addictive, but other methods are being used to treat sleep problems.
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