There are certain things that humans should do to improve their health and live longer. Good sleep is one of the most important things on that list, along with good diet and good exercise. Research shows that people who get good quality sleep are less likely to die from causes like heart disease and cancer. Such people also have a longer life expectancy than others.
Clinical Fellow at Harvard Medical School and Internal Medicine, Dr. Frank Qian says.
1. Get seven to eight hours of continuous sleep each night
2. Fall asleep easily most nights
3. Get uninterrupted good sleep almost every night
4. Be able to wake up in the morning without any fatigue
5. No need to use any drugs to sleep
The survey, which measured the sleep quality of 1,72,000 people using these factors, was conducted between 2013 and 2018 by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Health Statistics. The survey found that those who met these five factors were 30 percent less likely to die prematurely than others. According to the survey, they have a 21 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease, a 19 percent lower risk of dying from cancer, and a 40 percent lower risk of dying from other diseases.
Men with all five of these healthy sleeping habits had a 4.7 year longer life expectancy at age 30 than others. It was also found to be 2.7 years more for women. But more studies are needed to find out why good sleep affects life expectancy differently in men and women, the report said.
You can do the following for good sleep
1. Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every day. Do not break this routine even on weekends
2. Make sure the bedroom is cool, dark and quiet
3. Do not bring electronic devices like TV, computer, smartphone etc. into the bedroom
4. Avoid large meals, caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee or alcohol before sleep
5. Exercise daily. This will help you fall asleep faster.
Content Summary: Longevity and sleep habits