People who repeatedly suffer from poor sleeping habits could be at greater risk of more than 170 diseases, ranging from gangrene to dementia, a groundbreaking new study suggests.
The research, led by teams from Peking University and the Army Medical University in China, analyzed objective sleep data from 88,460 adults who took part in a nationwide survey run by the UK Biobank platform.
The participants answered over 160 questions about their sleeping habits, including their ability to fall to sleep, their hours of sleep per night, their quality of sleep and associated lifestyle and behaviors.
From an in-depth analysis of the results, the researchers found significant associations between various sleep traits and 172 diseases.
The included participants were on average 62 years old, and 43 percent were males.
Using data from a wearable device worn over an average of about seven years, researchers identified that 92 diseases had over 20 percent of their risk attributable to poor sleep behavior.
Notably, irregular bedtime, defined in the study as falling asleep after 12:30AM, was linked to a 2.6-fold higher risk of liver cirrhosis, while inconsistent sleeping patterns increased the risk of gangrene, death of body tissue, by 2.6 times.
A total of 42 diseases exhibited over two-fold risk associated with certain sleep traits such as sleep quality, quantity and consistency. These conditions included Parkinson’s disease, age-related frailty, gangrene, fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver.
Poor sleep could put people at greater risk of 172 diseases ranging from gangrene to dementia, a groundbreaking new study suggests (stock image)
Meanwhile, 122 diseases had at least 1.5-fold risk, including type 2 diabetes, respiratory failure, bone and spine fractures and urinary incontinence.
Among the 172 diseases found to be associated with sleep, up to 52 percent of the risk of a single disease could be attributed to a sleep trait.
Ninety-two diseases had over a 20 percent risk attributable to at least one sleep trait, and 44 diseases had one attributable risk over 30 percent.
Some common diseases showed considerable attributable risk, such as Parkinson’s disease (37 percent by caused by inconsistent sleeping patterns) and urinary incontinence (24 percent by how much time you spend asleep while in bed).
Importantly, the study challenges previous claims that ‘long sleep’ (more than nine hours) is harmful.
While subjective reports have linked long sleep to stroke and heart disease, objective data in the most recent study revealed this association only with heart disease.
Misclassification may be to blame, the researchers say.
Just over 21 percent of ‘long sleepers’ actually slept less than six hours, suggesting that time spent in bed is often confused with actual sleep time.
Recommended guidelines suggest seven to nine hours is the ideal sleep time for adults.
Among the 172 diseases found to be associated with sleep, up to 52.29 percent of the risk of a single disease could be attributed to a sleep trait
‘Our findings underscore the overlooked importance of sleep regularity,’ said Prof. Shengfeng Wang, senior author of the study.
‘It’s time we broaden our definition of good sleep beyond just duration.’
Looking ahead, the researchers want to look at the impact of sleep treatment plans on chronic disease outcomes.
Dr Chris Winter, a neurologist specializing in sleep, previously told DailyMail.com the link between poor sleep and health issues are ‘probably multi-factorial.’
He said that sleeping too little causes the nervous system to malfunction, leading to a higher heart rate, high blood pressure, and elevated stress levels.
Poor sleep can also exacerbate inflammation in the body, a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, stroke, dementia, and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.
Weight and metabolism are also impacted when a person sleeps too poorly, as diet tends to suffer.
Sleep’s effects on hormones mean people are likely to make unhealthier food choices.
Dr Beth Frates, director of lifestyle medicine and wellness in the Department of Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, said: ‘Most people focus on exercise and diet when it comes to weight management and a healthy heart, but few focus on sleep.
More than 100 diseases had at least 1.5-fold risk associated with certain sleep traits, including type 2 diabetes, respiratory failure, bone and spine fractures and urinary incontinence (stock image)
‘Working to find ways to clean up sleep hygiene may help people to extend sleep time to the recommended seven to nine hours per night.
‘This could, in turn, lead to consuming fewer calories and even weight loss in people who are in the overweight category by BMI.’
In another study examining the risk to heart health published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers found that middle-aged adults with conditions like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or stroke may face a higher risk of cancer and premature death if they sleep less than six hours a night.
It is known that the effects of poor sleep can be felt immediately, and after around three days of too little sleep, a person can develop hallucinations or psychosis.
It can also lead to an increased risk of death by accident or injury. Almost 20 percent of all serious car crash injuries among the general public are associated with driver sleepiness, independent of alcohol effects.
Compared to drivers who had slept for a regular seven hours, those who reported they’d slept fewer were 1.3 times more likely to crash, while those who slept five to six hours were nearly two times as likely to crash.
And sleep four to five hours quadrupled a person’s risk of being in a serious crash.
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