Five Good Sleep Habits To Add Five Years In Your Life!

It’s more than just getting seven to eight hours of sleep a day

Getting good sleep and having healthy sleep habits can play a role in supporting your heart and overall health. And, maybe, even dictating how long you live, according to new research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session last February 23, 2023.

Researchers have analyzed data from 172,321 adults in the US for an annual survey. They have come up with five different factors of what can be called as “quality sleep.”

1. You shouldn’t have difficulty falling asleep no more than two times a week.
2. Make sure you get a full seven to eight hours of sleep each night. That’s tough for many people, especially given that according to the 2016 Healthy Living Index Survey, Filipinos have one of the highest rates of sleep deprivation in Asia. Around 46% of Filipinos do not get enough sleep while 32% said they sleep for less than six hours.
3. You also need to have an uninterrupted, restful sleep more often than not. That means you don’t wake up during the night.
4. You also have to feel well rested at least five days a week when you wake up. 
5. You shouldn’t be using sleep medications to achieve your slumber. So there must not be any melatonin involved to get you to have some zzzs.

Healthy sleep habits is life

Among men and women who reported having all five quality sleep measures (a score of five), life expectancy was 4.7 years greater for men and 2.4 years greater for women compared to those who had none or only one of the five favorable elements of low-risk sleep. 

“If people have all these ideal sleep behaviors, they are more likely to live longer,” says researcher Frank Qian, MD. 

“So, if we can improve sleep overall, and identifying sleep disorders is especially important, we may be able to prevent some of this premature mortality,” he adds.

The study found that young people who have more beneficial sleep habits are incrementally less likely to die early. Moreover, the data suggest that about 8% of deaths from any cause could be attributed to poor sleep patterns.

So, if you’re thinking of staying up late tonight, maybe think again!