Increase Life Expectancy By Observing A Good Sleeping Pattern
KEY POINTS
- Increasing life expectancy has a lot to do with living a healthy lifestyle
- Sleep plays a major role in ensuring that you are in good health
- By observing the right sleeping pattern, you are increasing longevity
One of the major goals of almost everyone on the planet today is living a long and healthy life. This aim is attainable, thanks to groundbreaking studies that continue to disclose the lifestyle habits most favorable to having a long life.
The most crucial message of such studies is that certain lifestyle choices can either reduce or increase your risk to the development of lasting complications. This is why it is best to avoid such bad habits at all costs.
Consuming an unhealthy diet, for instance, may increase the risk of the development of heart disease. This life-threatening condition is one of the major killers in the UK. Avoiding foods that contribute to the development of this illness should thereby be shunned.
Sleeping Pattern Plays A Role
There are some who do not know this, but sleeping patterns also impact life expectancy. In a recent study, having regular sleeping patterns like retiring to bed and waking up approximately the same time every day can help improve longevity.
Another factor that could impact your life span is sleep duration. Having too much or too little sleep can be harmful.
To illustrate, sleeping for no more than five or seven hours each night is linked to a 12% higher risk of early death. On the other hand, sleeping for more than eight or nine hours each night may also decrease your lifespan by up to 38%.
Studies examining the relationship between having little sleep and longevity found that having an insufficient amount of sleep increases your risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are dangerous forerunners to cardiovascular conditions like heart attacks.
Having Too Much Sleep Also Poses A Risk To Life Expectancy
Studies have shown that having too much sleep could lead to low physical activity, undiagnosed health conditions, and depression. All of these may negatively impact your longevity.
Disturbingly, a study which was published in the journal Neurology found that those who sleep longer than nine hours each night are at an 85% higher risk of stroke. A stroke is a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when blood supply to a section of the brain is cut off.
Dr. Xiaomin Zhang, a professor from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology and author of the study, said unfavorable changes in cholesterol levels occur in long sleepers. While further studies are needed to fully understand how longer sleeping hours are linked to increased stroke risk, past studies have shown these spikes in cholesterol levels. Having a high cholesterol level is a risk factor for stroke.
Establishing a Good Sleeping Pattern
The National Health Service revealed that most adults require between six and nine hours of shuteye per night. By working out the time you need to sleep and wake up, you will be able to establish a good sleeping pattern.
It is also vital to make an effort in trying to wake up at approximately the same time each day. This helps keep health risks at bay. According to the NHS, while it may be a good idea to catch up on sleep after a fitful night, doing so disrupts your sleep routine.
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