Health Risks For Those Who Can't Fall Asleep At Night

A new study of sleep has revealed that the optimum sleeping duration is 7 hours. Unfortunately for those who have trouble sleeping at night there are serious health implications, and it isn't just those who can't fall asleep at night who are at risk, serial over sleepers could face health complications, too.

If you find you have trouble sleeping at night then you could be at risk of heart disease new research has found. The study carried out by the Department of Community Medicine has revealed that the optimum sleep duration has been redefined at seven hours.

A study of more than 30,000 adults found that cardiovascular disease, angina, heart attack and stroke are more likely to occur in people who slept for fewer than seven hours a night compared with those who slept for seven hours. Those who have trouble sleeping for more than five hours per night have double the risk of developing heart disease compared with those who get seven hours.

Women with trouble sleeping at night were found to be most at risk along with those over the age of 60. It's also bad news for those who sleep for nine hours a night or more, people in this category are one and a half times more likely to develop heart disease than those who sleep for the optimum seven hours.

Research has been unable to show why too much or too little sleep affects the heart, but it is known that lack of sleep is related to changes in the body’s metabolism and hormonal activity.

Those who can’t fall asleep sleep at night will also suffer from impaired glucose intolerance, reduced insulin sensitivity and elevated blood pressure, all of which increase the risk of hardening of the arteries. Those getting too much sleep may suffer breathing disorder or poor sleep quality.

Sleep hygiene expert, Peter Litchfield, said of the findings, "This is a sharp reminder that we need to change the way in which we live. Electricity has gravely affected sleep and we need to revert back to sleeping more in line with our naturally engineered body clock. Modern day lifestyle is causing people to have trouble sleeping at night and people are developing insomnia due to general poor sleep hygiene."

The good news is that all is not lost for those who can't fall sleep at night. Better sleep can be achieved by changing bad habits and implementing best sleep practice for environment, diet and lifestyle. Litchfield explains, "The natural sleep clock is easy to break but not so easy to mend, but the good news is it's indestructible. You can reinstate quality sleep by following a strict program of good sleep hygiene, this will lead you back to the recommended seven hours sleep".