In collaboration with La Torrada Fresca
Sleep deprivation has been linked to cardiovascular conditions, mental health disorders and more. Now, a new study reveals a connection to a dangerous disease.
Getting a good amount of sleep is a challenge for many, especially as we approach stressful vacations and family reunions. According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from sleep-related problems. These problems are not only annoying, but affect factors ranging from your weight to your mood.
Now, researchers have found another aspect affected by sleep deprivation: diabetes.
A new study, published in the journal Nature and science of sleep, collected data from more than 80,000 adults with a mean age of 62 years. Participants who slept regularly for less than 5 hours were 58% more likely to develop diabetes compared to participants who slept for 7 to 8 hours per night.
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Irregular sleep patterns were also related to heart disease. “Those who sleep <5 hours / night are 36%, 25%, 33%, 27%, 37% and 36% more likely to have high blood pressure, ischemic heart disease, lung disease, cerebrovascular heart disease, other forms of heart disease. diseases and diseases of the arteries, arterioles and capillaries, respectively, ”explain the study’s authors.
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Apart from this, the study also found that poor sleep correlates with an increased risk of mental health and mood disorders, by 106% and 44% respectively. These results have been echoed in several studies.
According to the National Alliance against Mental Illness (AMNI), sleep problems are signs or side effects of various mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder and depression. Cases of insomnia are related 50% of the time to depression, anxiety and psychological stress.
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Sleep is one of those things we tend to sacrifice when life gets in the way, putting our work and social lives ahead to get the things we want to do. This is understandable. While the night of occasional insomnia may not be paralyzing, sleep is a very delicate activity, necessary for our functioning and can be easily interrupted. Dozens of experts have said that prioritizing it can only affect us better, leading to a healthier mind and body.
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