Insufficient sleep is deadly for the elderly

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Researchers representing University College London have concluded that sleep deprivation becomes deadly at a certain age.

“Sleeping less than five hours a day increases the risk of premature death in the elderly by a quarter,” Plos Medicine quotes scientists.

According to the lead author of the project, Dr. Severin Sabia, lack of sleep is associated with a greater susceptibility to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Experts have calculated that the risk of these life-shortening diseases increases by 40 percent with lack of sleep in the elderly.

The study analyzed data from 7,864 people aged 50 and older, collected over a 25-year period. Scientists tracked the relationship between sleep patterns and health problems. Scientific experts stated that “at 60 years of age, people who slept five hours or less had a 25 percent higher risk of early death.”

Doctor Severin Sabia emphasized that it is recommended to sleep seven to eight hours a day, so it is important to promote good sleep hygiene: the bedroom should be quiet, dark, and at a comfortable temperature.

Shorter sleep affects the possibility of developing chronic diseases: the results show that short sleep is associated with multimorbidity, the expert said.