Sleep Linked to Obesity and Chronic Disease
The percentage of overweight and obese adults in the United States has been increasing for decades. According to data from the National Health Interview Survey in 2004 and 2005, approximately 24% of all adults 18 to 85 years old were considered obese. Research indicates that short and long sleep duration is associated with many health concerns, including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Researchers hypothesize that adults receiving short sleep (<7 hours) and long sleep (>= 9 hours) are at a higher risk of developing obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. In addition, the average sleep duration of U.S. adults has decreased nearly one hour during the past 50 years, from 8 to 7 hours per night.
Understandably, there are many individual characteristics that affect obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. For example, diet, exercise, smoking, access to health care and one's physical, economic and social environment all play a big part in the development of obesity and chronic disease. In addition, one's ability to receive quality sleep will affect the productivity of one's 7-9 hour night sleep. Interestingly enough, results of the study indicated that these individual characteristics were not as significant in affecting the study's findings. Therefore, the findings in this study strongly suggest that consistent 7 to 9 hour sleep duration will directly and indirectly reduce the risk for chronic disease in adults.
Sweet Dreams!
References
O.M. Buxton & E. Marcelli. "Short and long sleep are positively associated with obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease among adults in the United States." Social Science & Medicine 71 (2010): 1027-1036.
