New Survey links sleep to good health.
If it takes YOU more than 30 minutes to drop off at night, you may have a problem with some very serious health implications. Many people will be surprised by the full implications of not sleeping well, as the following reveals.
Here at Comfomatic we have always been aware of the importance of sound sleep in our lives but, at last, the evidence supporting what we know and what our customers tell us is being validated from other sources. The Daily Mail has recently published results from an important new sleep quality study from the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) in the USA, that links quality of sleep to our general health.
The study reports that taking over 30 minutes to drop off may be indicative of sleep issues and that, should we wake up, it should not take us more than 41 minutes to fall back asleep again. The survey reveals that we should target sleeping for 85% of the time we spend in bed.
These conclusions were drawn from a panel of experts who examined 227 scientific studies, so the evidence can be considered robust in terms of sample size.
The most serious revelations within the report are those linking sleep to an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. The Mail reports that not getting enough sleep is also linked to, “putting on weight, fatigue, depression and can affect the fertility of couples who are trying for a baby.”
This research backs up evidence linking lack of sleep to obesity published in the UK by the Royal Society for Public Health. The RSPH state, “Poor sleep has also been linked to negative eating attitudes and binge eating behaviours.” If we are honest with ourselves, when we feel tired and our energy levels dip, we are more likely to avoid exercise. This is a slippery slope towards weight gain.
At Comfomatic it is fair to say that the vast majority of our customers are over 50 years old. For that reason it interests us to note that the National Sleep Foundation’s guidelines highlight that sleep changes as people get older. The Mail goes as far as to report, “Older people should be concerned if it takes them more than an hour to nod off.”
Not sleeping well leads to tiredness during the day and leads many to take naps. The NSF in the USA now say adults of any age should not be sleeping for more than 100 minutes at a time during the day and, “should not take more than four naps a day if they are sleeping properly.”
The weight of evidence linking sleep deprivation to serious health issues is undoubtedly mounting but, at a very basic level, if we have insufficient sleep but remain awake, there is marked deterioration in our performance. This can impact our job and even our day to day ability to carry out simple tasks safely. Forgetting a hob is turned on or losing concentration crossing a road are not situations any of us would like to find ourselves in.
If you’d like any information about how an adjustable bed from Comfomatic can improve your sleep then please contact us by filling out the following form by clicking here
To hear what our many customers say about how Comfomatic has helped improve the quality of their sleep, click here