Can you sleep your way to a long life?
I was down with the flu last week. And as always, sleep helped. That also got me reading up on the power of sleep. What I found: Sleep is not only life-affirming. It could also help us live longer.
Sleeping well equals investing in health and longevity| Creative by Anjul D.
Let’s face it. Eating right and working out regularly takes effort. If there is one lazy hack for wellness and longevity, it is sleep. And guess what, it works!
In fact, this Feb 2023 research paper shows that getting enough zzz’s could add years to your life – five more years for men and a little over two years for women, to be precise.
In the study, researchers followed 1,72,321 adults in the United States for over four years. The average age of this multiracial group was 50 years. 54% of the subjects were women. Based on their sleeping habits, subjects were given a score out of five, with 5 standing for the highest quality of sleep. Factors they were scored on included duration of sleep (7-8 hours every night), falling asleep easily, staying asleep through the night, waking up rested and not taking sleep meds.
Four years later, researchers matched these scores with the National Death Index records to see if sleep behaviours had contributed to death of the subjects - 8,681 persons had died during the study. They also accounted for other factors that increased risks to health like smoking, alcohol consumption etc. What the team then found was interesting:
Individuals who scored a 5 (had all good sleep habits) were
30% less likely to die for any reason
21% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease
19% less likely to die from cancer
40% less likely to die of causes other than heart disease or cancer.
This was in comparison to those who had the lowest score of zero to one on the sleep factor scale.
Commenting on the findings, Frank Qian, MD, one of the co-authors of the study, said:
"We saw a clear dose-response relationship, so the more beneficial factors someone has in terms of having higher quality of sleep, they also have a stepwise lowering of all cause and cardiovascular mortality…
…I think these findings emphasise that just getting enough hours of sleep isn't sufficient. You really have to have restful sleep and not have much trouble falling and staying asleep."
Translated: Spending 6-7 hours lying in bed doesn’t help. You need to spend that time getting good quality, restful sleep. Because when you are sleeping, your body and brain is incredibly busy.
What happens when you sleep?
To be honest, that’s a question that is still being answered by scientists and doctors. But here’s what writers would call a ‘slice of life’ account –
Every time you sleep, you go through 4-5 sleep cycles. Each cycle comprises 4 stages of sleep. The first three are the non-REM (rapid eye movement) stages of sleep.
In stages 1 & 2, you doze off and your body slows down and activates sleep mode.
Stage 3 is the point of deep sleep. It is difficult to wake up someone at this stage.
Stage 4 is the REM stage where the brain becomes active. This is also where you dream vividly. Your heart rate and breathing increase. Most REM sleep happens in the second half of the night.
Now while you are cycling through the different stages of sleep, here’s what is going on under the hood:
The neurons in your brain activate sleep mode. Your breathing and heart rate slow down. Body temperature drops. Muscles relax to the point where they are almost paralysed in the REM stage – this also ensures you don’t hurt yourself when you dream. Energy consumption reduces.
As you slide into sleep, your brain becomes super active. Think of it as a ‘system reboot’ where the brain assimilates, processes and stores new information that it has picked up during the day. This is why you must ensure you sleep well before a critical day at work or an exam. Toxins are also flushed out of the brain.
Sleep is also critical to ensure that you are sharp and focused the next day. It also helps regulate moods – ask any mother with a baby and she will tell you what happens when they miss nap-time.
Meanwhile in the body, kidney function slows down (so you don’t wake up to urinate). Testosterone and growth hormones are secreted (this is why kids are asked to sleep longer to grow taller). Muscles repair wear and tear. Sleep also helps regulate the immune system.
So, as you can see, when you sleep, your body and brain literally go to the workshop. And that’s why you shouldn’t skip the zzz’s!
What happens if you do not sleep enough?
Not getting the sleep you need is called sleep deprivation. That causes a ‘sleep debt’. A 2024 survey by local platform, LocalCircles said 61% Indians get less than 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
If you count yourself in this group, know that you can repay sleep debt. But it is kind of like paying off credit card debt. The interest keeps accumulating and it’s not pretty. Take a look:
You gain weight, as this study found. Participants who were not allowed to sleep more than four hours consumed over 300 kcal more food. They also gained more fat around the middle compared to those who slept well.
Blood pressure could increase in healthy adults as this study found. The adverse effects were found to last longer in women.
Sleeping less than 7 hours could make your heart age faster and increase potential risk of cardiovascular disease.
Not sleeping enough could interrupt body mechanisms to regulate blood sugar. This research team at UC Berkeley found that deep sleep brain waves trigger a domino reaction in the body that influences how blood sugar is regulated the following day.
It could also affect the way you walk and your balance – which could put you at risk for accidents, falls and injuries.
Sleep deprivation could trigger a vicious circle where it feeds off and into conditions like anxiety and depression. It could also increase dementia risk.
It shows on your face - beyond the regular dark circles and puffy eyes. Prolonged sleep deprivation increases cortisol which could break down collagen – the protein that keeps your skin smooth. So yes, not getting enough sleep could cause wrinkles.
But don’t go losing sleep over this list. The good news is just like we have ‘trained’ our brains to sleep less, we can also learn to sleep more. Question is, how much?
How much sleep is enough sleep?
Firstly, sleep requirements change as you age. It ranges from 14-16 hours for infants to 7-8 hours for seniors. While I couldn’t find a guideline specific to India, this recommendation comes from the US CDC and is widely accepted.
So, as you can see, 7 hours of shut-eye is like a bare minimum. How do you ensure that?
How to get a good night’s sleep
I personally find that reading a book in bed helps me sleep. That may or may not work for you. But take a look at this list collated from multiple sources. Chances are some of these could help you drift off easily –
Sleeping earlier is easier said than done. What you can do is start small. Advance your bedtime by 15 minutes every other day.
Go for a walk, preferably in the morning. Walking before bed might perk you up, and you don’t want that!
Create a bedtime routine. Some like to shower before bed, for others it is reading. It could be turning down the bed. Start a routine and stick to it every day. This tells your brain you are ready to sleep.
Use an analog alarm clock. Keep the phones, TVs and tablets out of the bedroom.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine or any other stimulant before bedtime.
Try to wake up and sleep at the same time, every day. Even on weekends.
And finally, consider why you sleep better in hotel rooms. Chances are the room is cooler, darker and probably has less noise than your room at home. Also consider changing out your mattress and pillows if they are not comfortable.
You spend one-third of your lifetime in bed. Make it worth that investment.
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Before you go
A little fact that made me smile.
Did you know Sea otters sleep floating in water. So, they cuddle or sleep close to each other to ensure they don’t drift away in their sleep. And sometimes it seems like they are holding hands while sleeping.
Raft of Sea otters | Pic by Lilian Carswell/USFWS
See the pic above? That is a ‘raft of otters’.
Otters form rafts like these when they sleep. This ensures they stick together and it conserves body heat. In fact, mother otters put their little ones to sleep on their stomachs. Sometimes, they’ll even bind the baby to themselves with a piece of seaweed or kelp.
Now that is an image I could hold on to while I get some sleep. See you next week.
Kavita Krishnan.
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