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woogyboogy8869 t1_isui1qc wrote

What about younger people (myself) who sleep 5 or less hours? Am I slowly giving myself illnesses?

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BartolomeuOGrosso t1_isuicft wrote

Young you is the foundation for old you

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Chesterlespaul t1_isuisij wrote

Absolutely. People who burn the candle at both ends don’t usually have great qol during their last years, if they get any. Alzheimer’s is a big one that happens to those people.

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muhyb t1_isv7fq7 wrote

How about polyphasic sleep?

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rbt321 t1_isvxlva wrote

While I'm not aware of any studies, it was very common historically to go to sleep shortly after sunset, wake for a few hours in the middle of the night (many children created during these hours), then sleep again until sunrise.

Also, siesta countries like Spain and Italy, have pretty strong life expectancy. Seems like an indicator that afternoon napping probably isn't harmful.

Seems like something worth studying in a controlled manner.

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TLTAGL t1_itbmvi0 wrote

I really think the Mexican Spanish Siesta was studied long ago and it was proved that a Nap is extremely helpful to the body and mind but only if you didn’t sleep more then 30 minutes …

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tittyfortat1 t1_isvpypy wrote

Yup. That's why Im making sure I work enough for it to kill in my 40s. Dont want it dragging out

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[deleted] t1_isv4q2o wrote

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[deleted] t1_isvk3pq wrote

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[deleted] t1_isvidih wrote

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woogyboogy8869 t1_isvn4wm wrote

That is pretty much how I am except occasionally I do sleep 6 or 7 hours but when I do I end up waking up feeling worse than if I only sleep 3 hours.

https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2019/08/415261/after-10-year-search-scientists-find-second-short-sleep-gene

This is kind of an intersting article I read last year or so. I'm not going to claim I have this gene mutation, because I have nothing to back it up, but it makes sense there are people that just don't need as much sleep

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Strazdas1 t1_isx2688 wrote

If its not caused by forcing yourself to sleep less you already have an illness.

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rivenwyrm t1_isw3dra wrote

Yes. Sleep is a crucial biological process for humans. Sleep more.

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[deleted] t1_isv317s wrote

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HelpVerizonSwitch t1_isv7ty6 wrote

What? Where does that article state that sleeping less than five hours a night is associated with improved CV health?

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[deleted] t1_isumifs wrote

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mydoghasocd t1_isuob5g wrote

you can try two things: regular exercise, and most importantly, don't eat anything or drink anything other than water (especially alcohol) for 3 hours before you go to bed. Metabolism interferes with sleep processes.

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[deleted] t1_isutpun wrote

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Azzizabiz t1_isur6j6 wrote

You may want to consider a sleep study to see if you have sleep apnea. I was prescribed a CPAP machine, and I no longer get interruptions during my sleep. I thought I had prostate issues in my 30's. Turns out I was just never getting into REM sleep due to my apnea that my bladder never settled for the night.

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J662b486h t1_isvravc wrote

Speaking from the viewpoint of someone who is getting farther from 50, I'm getting less nighttime sleep but the oddest change is that when I am sleeping I get lots of very vivid dreams - weird ones that aren't quite disturbing but close.

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-Kibbles-N-Tits- t1_isw6fcg wrote

Do you spend a lot of time on your bed during the day without sleeping?

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srtpg2 t1_isvwfke wrote

Might be worth seeing a sleep specialist as it could be the result of fixable things like sleep apnea, anxiety, leg movements, etc

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GodHatesGOP t1_iswa1hv wrote

You might be suffering from Sleep Apnea. This is a regular occurrence with age as your throat muscles lose tone, they allow the tongue to slip lower than it should, thus blocking your air intake (initially partially which results to loud snoring then totally which results in not breathing), you our brain detects a massive spike in carbon dioxide (your blood becomes more acidic) and it rouses you from your sleep...but ...just long enough to tense up your throat muscles and get few breaths of air in....that happens 8x/hr so basically at most you get 20min of sleep in an actual hour.

If you have insurance then get a sleep study done. Easy referral, tell your primary physician that your wife complains about how loud you snore and that you wake up each morning feeling very tired.
Now there are two types of sleep studies which depend on how compliant you are as a patient.

The in home sleep study Pro

You take devices that are placed on a headband on your forehead and a device placed under your chin and across your chest. To measure your brainwave activity, oxygen ehilation oxygen saturation, breathing rate and any snoring.

You get to sleep in your own bed and your own sleep environment. The measurements are done for two nights in order to average it out.

Cons

Not as accurate in terms of brain activity as in the sleep lab environment

Sleep lab environment

Very accurate in terms of brain activity but not so much in terms of replicating the actual sleep environment and sleep hygiene.

If you don't have insurance;

Then grab a "do I snore" app on your smart phone. Turn it on and go to bed. When you wake up tomorrow look at the results.

If you snored a lot and if the snoring sounded very loud then you most likely have sleep apnea.

CVS and Walgreens now sell RESMED APAP machines and masks. You can get one and look up the clinical menu unlock key combo for each device. This will allow you to set pressures.

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grewapair t1_iswfm5u wrote

Take 1-2mg of regular melatonin and 2.5mg of slow release melatonin and your sleep problems will be a thing of the past. Your body is producing less of it.

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[deleted] t1_isuoz2d wrote

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[deleted] t1_isw6wy8 wrote

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Wagamaga OP t1_isud7fe wrote

Older people who get five hours of sleep a night or less may face a far greater risk of developing two or more chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer or diabetes, compared to people who sleep longer, a new study suggests.

The research, published Tuesday in the journal PLOS Medicine, tracked the impact of sleep duration on the health of more than 7,000 men and women at the ages of 50, 60 and 70.

This was done via a 25-year follow up of participants in the Whitehall II cohort study involving members of the British civil service.

The British and French researchers, led by University College London, found that sleeping for five hours or less at the ages of 50, 60, and 70 was linked to a 30% to 40% increased risk of developing multiple chronic diseases versus people who slept for up to seven hours.

https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2022/10/18/five-hours-sleep-disease-risk-study/2071666105265/

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Ixneigh t1_isvna7k wrote

Maybe those diseases cause shortened sleeping habits

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Maddonomics101 t1_isvq6lu wrote

Or rather there’s an underlying condition such as stress that is causing both

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RyoxAkira t1_isvpegx wrote

Five hours or less is really little. I'm surprised its not more than 30%.

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[deleted] t1_isueppk wrote

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[deleted] t1_isujr4b wrote

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flannelheart t1_isuxe1w wrote

Why are older people getting five or less hours of sleep? I turn down multiple invites every year ‘cause they’re past my bedtime. Priorities

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TLTAGL t1_itbos7e wrote

I sleep less then 4-5 hours because pain wakes me up,, Pain always wakes me up.. Drs can’t hand out pain meds to chronic pain patients like they use to so now u Suffer n lucky if u get anything besides a Advil

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[deleted] t1_isv3rut wrote

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Menaechmus t1_isxagt4 wrote

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Hope you get better.

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IdRatherBeSleeping85 t1_isul129 wrote

Did it say why? Are people that sleep less just up to no good? Eating more? Watching more tv, using the internet? Thinking about the stresses of life? So sleeping an extra 3 hrs is the cure?

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Myquil-Wylsun t1_isulo1w wrote

Quality sleep is good for you in general. Lack of sleep has been pointed to as a catalyst behind a variety of ailments.

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IdRatherBeSleeping85 t1_isum2yw wrote

But what if those 5 hours (or less) of sleep are great quality sleep?

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mydoghasocd t1_isuopos wrote

your body engages in extensive cellular repair and cleansing while you sleep. If you deprive your body of sleep, you are not getting that regular maintenance on your body. Sleep quality certainly matters, but 4 hours of high quality sleep is not ever going to outperform 7 hours of medium quality sleep. The sleep research is very clear that <5 (and maybe less than 6) is incredibly detrimental for all aspects of health.

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DJSnafu t1_isw65dg wrote

Any data about 4-5 hours supplemented by 2-3 hours in the afternoon?

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mydoghasocd t1_isw87m2 wrote

Yes, napping longer than 60 minutes is associated with increased all cause mortality https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945720303658

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DJSnafu t1_iswzh34 wrote

God damn, its a miracle I'm still alive going by those two studies. Appreciate the replies, even if they're very depressing!

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mydoghasocd t1_isxrjz8 wrote

First step is identifying there’s an issue !

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DJSnafu t1_isydmh8 wrote

For sure. Just very tough, I've struggled with more than 5 hours of sleep since I was around 11 and I'm 41 now. Been awake since 6am today (4.5 hours of sleep at night) and your comment this morning has prevented from my daynap today:D Thank you again for taking the time to reply.

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mydoghasocd t1_isyxoa1 wrote

Well, there are some strategies to help with sleeping longer at night. You could read The Circadian Code, which covers a lot of these, although the most important things are 1) not napping during the day, 2) having a set wake up time, 3) don’t eat anything or drink alcohol for 2-3 hours before bed, 4) no caffeine after noon, and 5) increasing your physical activity. I will note that even though everyone consistently finds dramatic effects of sleep on overall health, that actually the most important thing you can possibly do for your health is regular physical activity, the next most important thing is eating a Mediterranean diet (or similar), and then sleep is after that, followed by other general health tweaking behaviors (e.g., fasting, meditation, reducing stress/anxiety). But the most important predictor of health is regular physical activity. So if you just can’t optimize your sleep even after trying everything, instead of stressing about sleep, you should just focus on exercising.   And if you exercise enough, it'll probably fix your sleep problem anyway.

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TLTAGL t1_itbnsbj wrote

I Thought that it was 30 minutes… Thx for that information

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mydoghasocd t1_itc9ahv wrote

It might be. I’m not sure what the consensus is, just that some studies use 60 as the cutiff

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uninstallIE t1_isurswe wrote

Most human bodies need more sleep than that. A few people have genetic abnormalities that allow them to get on with about that or less, but don't assume you're one of those people.

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TinfoilTobaggan t1_isv35fb wrote

I think people who lack sleep tend to gravitate more towards junk food, booze and drugs to compensate... The HALT method seems to come into play here..

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immersemeinnature t1_isutawk wrote

I sleep like absolute crap and just developed hypertension. I have exercised pretty much daily since I was a kid and also am trim/ not overweight. It's absolutely my crap sleep.

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Striking-Potato-7578 t1_isues2m wrote

You sleep more when you are stress free.

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davidguydude t1_isuilwm wrote

Also when your joints, muscles, and organs don’t hurt. And when you don’t have to pee.

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yulip t1_isw3u0f wrote

Basically don't be pregnant and expect to sleep

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Strazdas1 t1_isx3gdw wrote

So i cannot exercise and sleep in the same day?

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[deleted] t1_isvg23b wrote

Who the hell sleeps 8 hours a night

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krustymeathead t1_isw40qf wrote

is this causation or just correlation here?

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Delthefunkyalien t1_isuwb4r wrote

What if you make it up with a nap in the afternoon?

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TLTAGL t1_itboxqk wrote

Sadly it Doesn’t work like that,,,, catch-up on sleep does nothing to help u

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PoopMagruder t1_isvlsfh wrote

Look. Sleeping feels good because it is necessary. Not getting enough sleep is obviously bad because it feels bad.

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BloodChasm t1_iswbr6w wrote

Does this take exercise into the equation? Those with less sleep are probably more reluctant to exercise, perhaps that's the key?

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incomprehensibilitys t1_iswdglb wrote

The problem is, you really can't do anything about Not like older people are trying to not sleep

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regreddit t1_isxwf23 wrote

Well contrasted to the other study posted about 3 weeks ago that correlated 9+ hours of sleep with dementia seems like you better get 8 squares, no more, no less!

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Titalator t1_isyhwdz wrote

This is great six hours has been my max sense highschool I just can't sleep more.

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tektite t1_iszml9e wrote

I regularly get 5 hours of sleep and wake up without an alarm. I guess I’m supposed to try to go back to sleep for another cycle, but it’s not very easy for me.

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