OUR sleep it not only nourishes children, but, as it turned out, is useful for the health of adults. In particular, an international team of scientists has shown that older people who do not sleep at least five hours every night are at risk of chronic diseases.

The researchers analyzed data on 8,000 people aged 50, 60 and 70 and found that those he slept less than five hours each night, compared to those who stayed in Morpheus’ arms for seven hours, they were 40% more likely to develop at least two chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, depression, and dementia. The risk was higher for the very elderly, while for those over 60 it was 32% and for those over 50 it was 30%. In addition, for a 50-year-old person, fewer hours of sleep is associated with a 25 percent increase in the likelihood of premature death, largely due to the chronic health problems it can cause.

The evidence was collected in the context of studies that began in 1985 and included the University of Paris-Cite, University College London, and the French National Institutes of Health.

international trend

As noted by one of the researchers, Dr. Severin Sabia, in recent years there has been a general trend of people sleeping fewer hours. An American study showed that the average sleep between 1985 and 2012 was reduced by 15 minutes. “Often people don’t realize that they don’t get enough sleep, lifestyle and especially constant access to technology does not allow them to switch off and relax,” said Dr. Sabia. “It is very important to listen to your body. When we feel tired, we should go to sleep. Today we do not allow ourselves to relax and sleep as much as we need.