Older adults who sleep just five or fewer hours a night have a greater risk of developing more than one chronic disease, new research shows. The new study examined sleep duration and its effect on multimorbidity—or the occurrence of more than one chronic condition, like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, at once. It found that people ages 50 or older who slept a total of five hours a night or less were found to have at least a 30% greater risk of multimorbidity.
For the study, researchers looked at data taken from the ongoing Whitehall II cohort study that began in 1985, and examined participants’ self-reported sleep duration, taken at ages 50, 60, and 70. Participants were followed for 25 years, and all adults were considered “healthy” at the start of the trial
Of the 7,864 healthy participants with sleep data at age 50, those who slept five or fewer hours were 30% more likely to go on to develop multiple chronic diseases, compared to those who slept seven hours.
By the age of 60, participants who slept five hours or less were 32% more likely to develop multimorbidity than those who slept seven hours; at 70 years old, that number rose to 40%.
Sleep is a key selfcare tool. To learn how to create wellness programs for happier, less stressed, more engaged employees, visit SelfCare for HealthCare™. Contact me today to discuss implementing this powerful program at your facility. Interested in LeAnn Thieman’s keynote speaking, training and workshops? Email lthieman@leannthieman.com.
