| More and more research is showing that getting | | | | 6 (or more) hours each night. |
| enough sleep, once considered an indulgence | | | | Women with insomnia also had a higher risk, |
| available to a fortunate few, is really quite vital for | | | | though the numbers didn't reach a statistically |
| both our mental and physical well being, as lack of | | | | significant level. |
| sleep effects can be deadly serious. A pair of new | | | | Earlier work in this area has linked less sleep with |
| studies suggest that chronic poor sleep boosts | | | | health conditions such as high blood pressure, as |
| your odds of dying early, which is worrisome | | | | well as other risk factors for cardiovascular |
| enough without the results of a third study that | | | | disease. |
| found more than half of older Americans aren't | | | | The third and final study presented at SLEEP |
| getting the amount of sleep they need. | | | | 2009 comes from the University of Virginia in |
| The first study, conducted by an association of | | | | Charlottesville, and was based on a survey of |
| experts, found that death rates were higher | | | | more than 1,500 adults over 60. |
| among those who had what's known as | | | | This work found that less than half the adults in |
| fragmented sleep - more transitions between the | | | | this age group are getting the recommended |
| known stages of sleep. | | | | eight hours of sleep each night. Only 61% |
| Over the 8 year study period, those with more | | | | reported it took them less than 15 minutes to fall |
| fragmented sleep had a risk of death that was | | | | to sleep. |
| 5% higher than those who slept peacefully. | | | | Subjects who had depressive symptoms, were |
| The two transitions most closely linked to | | | | unmarried, black more educated or earned more |
| increased death risk were the wake-to-non-REM | | | | experienced poorer sleep, reporting that they felt |
| and REM-to-wake shifts in sleeping stages. | | | | less alert during the day. |
| Until this research, there had been little work in | | | | While medications to treat insomnia are |
| the area of sleep fragmentation, though one | | | | sometimes an option, better, more effective |
| study found sleep-disordered breathing, a | | | | results come from cognitive behavioral therapy - |
| contributor to sleep fragmentation, brought an | | | | helping patients to recognize what's really keeping |
| increased risk of premature death. | | | | them from sleep and develop strategies to deal |
| Still it's impossible to tell what underlying conditions | | | | with these stressors. |
| might be behind these types of sleep | | | | Relaxation techniques can also be helpful for |
| disturbances. | | | | getting people to relax enough to go to sleep, or |
| Those who are ill, for example, might have | | | | return to sleep if they wake during the night. |
| disturbed sleep patterns, but is this the cause of | | | | The largest population based study on sleep finds |
| their problems, or the problems the case of the | | | | 6 to 8 hours a night seems to help people live the |
| fragmented sleep? | | | | longest. |
| The second study, conducted by the Penn State | | | | If you find that you're having trouble getting |
| College of Medicine, looked at subjects with | | | | enough sleep, mention this to your doctor so that |
| insomnia who slept less than 6 hours and found | | | | other health problems or side effects from |
| they were at an increased risk of death | | | | medications you take might be ruled out first. |
| compared to those who slept longer. | | | | You'll also want to make an effort to establish a |
| The work involved almost 2,000 men and women | | | | healthy sleeping routine, choose a comfortable, |
| who were first examined in a sleep lab and then | | | | sleep-inducing location, and practice relaxation |
| followed for over a decade. | | | | techniques to help you ease into a relaxed, restful, |
| Here's what they found - males with insomnia | | | | ready for sleep state to avoid those worrisome |
| who slept from 5-6 hours a night had five times | | | | lack of sleep effects. |
| the risk of death as opposed to those who slept | | | | |