We cannot make time pass more slowly, nor prevent it from leaving traces on our body – whether they are visible to the naked eye or not – but we can control some of the factors that can contribute to active and healthy aging. And one of the keys is in an activity that occupies around a third of our lives: sleeping.
And a new finding from researchers at Wenzhou Medical University in China supports this, as they have discovered that changes in sleep patterns as we age are associated with lower chances of enjoying successful aging.
As explained by these scientists in an article published in BMC Public Health, their study was based on five criteria that were established in 2020 to define what is considered successful aging, which are: not suffering from major chronic diseases, not showing deterioration physical, have high cognitive function and good mental health and have a purpose in life.
These criteria are designed together to reflect a holistic approach to the health and well-being of older adults. Previous studies have linked insufficient or excessive sleep to adverse health outcomes, but the impact of changes in sleep duration over time on healthy aging is unclear.
This is especially worrying in China, where a rapidly aging population (by 2040 28% are expected to be 60 years old or older) faces significant health problems. The average life expectancy has been increasing and in 2019 it reached 77.6 years, which is good news, but contrasts with the fact that the healthy life expectancy is only 68.4 years, a gap of almost nine years.
A connection between sleep and physical and mental health problems
The researchers analyzed data from 3,306 participants aged 45 years or older who were free of major chronic diseases at the start of the study in 2011 and had reached age 60 or older in 2020, whose sleep patterns were recorded in 2011, 2013 and 2015, and They subsequently underwent a health checkup five years later.
The results of the analysis showed that those who managed to sleep at least seven hours a night tended to enjoy better health in old age. At the end of the study period, only 455 people (13.8%) met all the criteria for successful aging. Of these, 307 (about two-thirds) managed to sleep more than seven hours each night consistently.
Participants were grouped into five categories based on their sleep patterns over the four years: long and stable sleep (8-9 hours regularly), normal and stable sleep (7-8 hours regularly), decreasing sleep (more from 8 to less than 6 hours), increasing sleep (from less than 6 to more than 8 hours), and short, stable sleep (5-6 hours regularly).
The results showed that those who managed to sleep at least seven hours a night tended to enjoy better health in old age.
The odds of healthy aging were significantly higher among the long and stable sleep and normal and stable sleep groups (17.1% and 18.1%, respectively) compared to the decreasing sleep groups (9.9%). , increasing (10.6%) and short and stable sleep (8.8%).
The researchers explained in their article that compared to participants with a stable and normal sleep duration, those with a low and stable or increasing sleep trajectory were 36% and 52% less likely to age successfully, respectively. And they add that those with declining sleep patterns also showed lower odds, although this was not statistically significant, likely due to sample size limitations.
Factors such as weight, alcohol consumption and sex were taken into account and, although the study cannot confirm a direct cause-and-effect relationship, it does provide greater evidence about the importance of consistent and prolonged sleep to maintain good health. . Previous research has also highlighted that sleeping seven hours a night may be a sweet spot for well-being and healthy aging and there is a known connection between sleep and protection against various physical and mental health problems.
Maintaining stable and adequate sleep duration may be an often overlooked aspect of promoting healthy aging and the study provides strong evidence that public health strategies focused on maintaining stable and adequate sleep duration are an key component of successful aging initiatives.
