Secret of long life is healthy sleeping--research

According to researchers at Portland State University (PSU), Oregon, U.S., good quality sleep that could be termed as ‘sound sleep’ plays a major role in longevity and good health.

The Telegraph quoted lead researcher and faculty, Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning, PSU, Danan Gu, as saying, “Age and health conditions are the two most important factors associated with self-reported sleep quality and duration.”

“The findings are also important for other countries which have increasingly ageing populations,” added Gu.

Longitudinal study of 15,638 people
The current study based on analysis of 2005-data from Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey involved 15,638 people from across 22 provinces of China.

Of the total number of subjects, nearly 2,800 people were aged 100 or more.

Subjects were asked questions like for how many hours per day did they sleep and were also asked to rate it in terms of ‘sleep efficiency’ or sound sleep.

They were also asked as to how many naps they took daily.

Researchers also took variables like subjects’ demographics, socioeconomic status, and health into consideration.

Study findings
Analysis revealed that adults aged 100 or above were the ones to reportedly have a sound sleep. They had 70 percent tendency to have a good sleep contrary to their counterparts aged 65 to 79.

Researchers also found that people aged 100 or more had a three-fold tendency to sleep for 10 or more hours compared to those aged 65 or above who slept for five or less hours a day.

Sixty five percent of the total number of subjects stated having a good or very good quality of sleep for about 7.5 hours per day, including naps.

Furthermore, researchers found that men were 23 percent more likely to sleep healthy than women.

People having general poor health were 46 percent less prone to a good-quality sleep, stated researchers.

Researchers also suggest that there is enough data to form connection between a person’s sleep quality and healthy living and lifespan.

Gu clarified that ageing does not initiate sleeping problems and told The Telegraph, “Sleep problems at oldest-old ages likely arise from a variety of physiological and psychosocial factors rather than ageing.”

The study appears in the journal Sleep.