Lao Wang, this retired old man, has encountered a lot of trouble recently. In the past, he always followed the "8-hour sleep theory", and felt that if he slept enough, he would be 100 times more energetic.
But recently, he found that he had slept enough for 8 hours, but he still yawned during the day, as if he hadn't slept enough.
One day, Lao Wang met his old friend Lao Li in the park. Lao Li looked at Lao Wang's tired face, and asked, "Lao Wang, what's wrong with you?" Why do you look so unmotivated? ”
Lao Wang sighed and told Lao Li about the trouble of sleep. Lao Li smiled after hearing this, and said, "Lao Wang, this '8-hour sleep theory' is not ironclad. Especially at our age, sleep needs may change. Do you know how long you should sleep every day after the age of 60? ”
When Lao Wang heard this, he chuckled in his heart and thought: I really have to study and study this. So, he decided to start exploring the right way to sleep. And what is the answer behind this? Let's move on.
01
How harmful is it to the body if you don't get enough sleep for a long time?
As they age, many older people gradually sleep less, even sleeping only 4 or 5 hours a day. But is it true, as some say, that you can live longer by sleeping less?
Negative health effects of short napping
Although some studies have shown that too much sleep may have negative effects on health.
For example, the study found that people who slept an average of 10 hours per night had a 30% increased risk of early death and a 56% and 49% increased risk of dying from stroke and cardiovascular disease compared to those who slept 8 hours per night.
However, sleeping less doesn't mean living longer, and multiple studies have shown that sleep deprivation can be harmful.
Shorten the lifespan
Studies have shown that poor sleep quality reduces the life expectancy of men and women without cardiovascular disease by 2.31 years and 1.8 years, respectively. Sleep-related breathing disorders are associated with a reduction in life expectancy of 6.73 years for men and 7.32 years for men and women, respectively.
Chronic diseases
The study found that people who slept less than 5 hours at age 50 had a 20% increased chance of being diagnosed with a chronic disease over a 25-year period, and a 40% increase in the chance of being diagnosed with more than 2 chronic diseases.
Negative emotions
According to a study, people who sleep less than 6 hours are more likely to feel nervous, lonely, depressed, and may also experience physical symptoms such as back pain, gastrointestinal discomfort, and dizziness.
Accelerated aging
A study showed that women who slept less than 7 hours per night in the 6 months after giving birth had their biological age increase by 3~7 years. This suggests that sleep deprivation accelerates aging.
Prone to dementia
A study found that people in their fifties and sixties who slept less than 6 hours had a 30% increased risk of dementia, and those who slept only 5 hours a day had twice the risk of Alzheimer's disease compared to those who slept 7~8 hours a day.
The 8-hour sleep theory has been overturned, what is the best sleep duration?
It is often said that you need 8 hours of sleep per night to stay healthy. However, research in recent years has overturned this view.
7 hours of sleep is ideal
One study found that people who slept seven hours a night had the lowest risk of death from all-causes, cardiovascular disease, and other causes. The same study also showed a beneficial association between 7 hours of sleep per night and cognitive function and mental health.
Sleep duration for different age groups
Studies have shown that sleep duration is related to individual needs, and that there is an appropriate amount of sleep for each age group. School-age children need 910 hours, 2030 years old 79 hours, 3050 years old 7~8 hours.
After the age of 60, you should keep these 4 points in mind when you go to bed at night
For the elderly, how to improve sleep quality is crucial. Here are some practical suggestions:
Establish a regular routine
Making it a habit to wake up and go to bed on time every day helps stabilize the biological clock, which in turn improves sleep quality.
Create a good sleeping environment
Keeping your bedroom dark and quiet, choosing the right quilt thickness and pillow height can help promote melatonin secretion and improve sleep quality.
Avoid drinking water before bedtime
Older people wake up frequently at night and can be improved by drinking less water before bed. In addition, proper sphincter exercises can also help reduce nocturia.
Static activities are dominant
Avoid getting emotional before bedtime and choose static activities such as reading, listening to music, or meditating with your eyes closed to relax your body and help you fall asleep.