Improving your deep sleep could impact your life expectancy, a new study suggests. So-called REM sleep is when dreams occur and the body recovers from the day's activities. For every 5% reduction ofREM sleep increasesMortality rates among older and middle-aged adults fell by 13% to 17%, researchers report study results.
How can you improve your deep sleep?
Numerous studies have linked inadequate sleep to significant health consequences. However, many people ignore the signs of sleep problems or do not take enough time toto get enough sleep. In busy, fast-paced lives, sleep can feel like a time-consuming nuisance. This study found that lower REM sleep was associated with higher mortality rates in two independent cohorts. However, researchers cannot yet determine exactly how REM sleep is linked to the risk of death. This study also couldn't prove that poor REM causes death, only that it is associated with an increased risk of dying early. The function of deep sleep is not yet well understood. However, knowing that less REM sleep is linked to higher mortality rates adds to the puzzle piece.
Furthermore, it is still too early to make recommendations for improving REM sleep based on this study. Poor REM sleep was linked to early death from unknown causes as well as death from cardiovascular and other diseases, the researchers found. The associations of REM sleep with mortality were similar in both groups. So REM sleep appears to be a reliable predictor of mortality and may have other predictive health metrics. Strategies to preserve REM may influence clinical therapies. This may improve deep sleep and reduce the risk of mortality, especially in adults with less than 15% REM sleep. Previous studies have focused on total sleep time and shown that not enough total sleep as well astoo much total sleepare associated with an increased risk of dying early.
Study results
This study shows that not onlya good night's sleepcan be important, but also the right balance between the different sleep phases. Neurologists need to look for conditions that affect patients, such as obstructive sleep apnea, which can reduce REM. Doctors should also be aware that certain medications they prescribe can reduce REM.The Studyalso opens up additional opportunities for research. This allows scientists to determine whether they should focus on treatments that affect not only overall sleep but also sleep stage balance. The recommendations for adults are seven hours and a balance of sleep stages. Anyone who has trouble sleeping or loud snoring may benefit from discussing this with their doctor.
