Yasmina Kattou
modified to
8:48 a.m., October 20, 2022
If sleep is essential when we are young, it remains a cornerstone of our health following 50 years. According to researchers, sleeping five hours or less following turning 50 increases the risk of developing a chronic disease by 20%. Worse, the appearance of a second chronic disease is multiplied.
If you’re over 50, you probably sleep less than when you were 30. A normal phenomenon but which does not call into question the importance of sleep, to stay in good health. According to a study, researchers from INSERM and Paris Cité University, in collaboration with University College London, found a robust association between short nights of sleep and a risk of developing several chronic diseases. To come to this conclusion, the researchers analyzed the sleep of 7,000 Britons for 35 years.
Thus, over the age of 50, sleeping only 5 hours a night, or less, increases the risk of developing a first chronic disease by 20%. And this, even if you were in perfect health before. Worse, these too short nights also increase by 30 to 40% the appearance of a second chronic disease such as diabetes, certain cancers, or even osteoarthritis.
A nap is not enough to correct the shot
Shortened nights hamper the proper functioning of the body, explain the scientists. “Many processes in our body follow a 24-hour clock. During the night, we see that the blood pressure decreases, a cleaning at the level of the brain which makes it possible to evacuate the various toxins accumulated during the day. “Other phenomena, in terms of hormone production. These systems are hampered because of too short nights. This can lead to the onset of chronic diseases”, assures Séverine Sabia, epidemiologist at INSERM and head of the study.
Daytime naps therefore do not reduce the risk. The scientist would like sleep to be just as popular as eating well or physical activity. To stay healthy it is recommended to sleep at least 7 hours a night.
