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Sleep: The True Key to a Longer Life?
15 Dec
Summary
- Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep nightly for optimal health and longevity.
- Insufficient sleep heightens risks for heart disease, diabetes, and dementia.
- Sleep's impact on lifespan surpasses diet, exercise, and social ties.
Prioritizing sleep is paramount for a longer and healthier life, even more so than diet or exercise. Experts emphasize that adults should consistently aim for 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep nightly. Chronic sleep deprivation is a significant health hazard, capable of diminishing the positive effects of otherwise healthy habits.
Research highlights that sleeping fewer than seven hours per night is linked to a reduced life expectancy compared to those who achieve the recommended 7-9 hours. Insufficient sleep can negatively impact cardiovascular health, increase blood pressure, and raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes. It also plays a crucial role in metabolic recovery.
Furthermore, inadequate sleep disrupts cognitive functions, affecting memory and processing. It is associated with an increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes due to insulin resistance. Poor sleep quality may also be an early indicator for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. Therefore, sleep is not merely a rest period but a vital biological necessity.
