If you’re having difficulty falling or staying asleep, it may have a bigger impact on your health than you think – scientists have uncovered five sleeping habits that can contribute to living a longer life
Are you getting enough restful sleep? Research out of the US has identified five habits that could add years to your life – and help keep long-term health problems away.
Scientists found that those who reported having all five quality sleep measures lived an average of 4.7 years longer for men, and 2.4 years longer for women than those with none or only one of the five preferred elements associated with low-risk sleep.
Those five key habits are:
(1) getting seven to eight hours of sleep per night;
(2) difficulty falling asleep not more than twice a week;
(3) trouble staying asleep no more than twice a week;
(4) not using any sleeping medications; and
(5) feeling well-rested when waking up at least five days each week.
Dr Frank Qian, study co-author and clinical fellow in medicine at Harvard Medical School, said: “If people have all these ideal sleep behaviours, they are more likely to live longer.”
He added: “It’s important for younger people to understand that a lot of health behaviours are cumulative over time … And we should be talking about and assessing sleep more often.”
Their findings also showed that around 8% of deaths from any cause could be attributed to poor sleeping patterns.
So if you want to increase your chances of living a full life – follow these five powerful sleeping habits recommended by scientists.
