3 misconceptions about sleep that affect your health



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Sleep is essential to our well-being – but many people are still unaware of its importance or continue to be poorly informed. Although many studies show that sleep deprivation increases our risk of problems – depression, anxiety, dementia, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, dementia, cardiovascular disease, early mortality, etc. – misconceptions about sleep still pollute the Internet.

Researchers at New York University's Langone Health School of Medicine looked at 8,000 websites and found 20 common misunderstandings about sleep that are particularly harmful. The following are the most worrisome, according to Rebecca Robbins, Ph.D., lead author of the study and postdoctoral researcher at NYU's Department of Population Health Langone Health, who published her findings in Sleep health: 1. We think that sleeping less than seven hours a night is perfect (that's not true!); 2. We think it's good to stay in bed when you can not fall asleep (that's wrong either!); 3. We think that snoring is boring but harmless (again, that's not true!).

Robbins wants to tackle these myths in order to improve the health and longevity of the 45% of sleep deprivation sufferers in the world. "If we allow these myths not to be corrected, our world population is limited in its ability to sleep well," says Robbins to Thrive.

The benefits of fighting this epidemic extend well beyond the individual, as noted by our editor, Sleep, Shelly Ibach, CEO of Sleep Number. "If you believe that research tells us how sleep changes us, you must believe in its power to advance our society. During sleep, we can create a kinder, more compbadionate and connected world, "she writes.

To this broader goal, Robbins and co-author Girardin Jean-Louis, Ph.D., a professor in the NYU Langone Health Population Health Department, explain why we need to address these three major sleep myths. and tell us about the truth.

Fact: You need at least seven hours of sleep

Although one-third of us slept less than seven hours a night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we need seven to ten hours, depending on our age.

"Many people think that some people only need five hours, but the evidence unequivocally shows that it's vital to sleep at least seven hours for optimal health," Robbins says. Consistently recording five hours or less increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and early mortality, she notes.

Fact: leave the bed if you can not fall asleep after 15 minutes

It makes sense to decide to go around in circles until you finally fall asleep. But, as paradoxical as it may seem, getting out of bed is essential if you can not fall asleep. "Sleeping in bed without sleep, it's like standing on a treadmill without moving," jokes Robbins. She strongly suggests leaving the bed so as not to inadvertently create a haphazard badociation in your mind between insomnia and your bed. "Reduce the lights, do something non-stimulating – for example, read a boring book – and come back to bed when you're tired," she says.

Fact: snoring could be a symptom of a serious sleep problem

Although snoring is common, it is not always a minor inconvenience. "When it's persistent and when there are repeated breaks in the breath, you can suffer from sleep apnea, a condition badociated with a higher body mbad index," says Robbins. Sleep apnea must be treated to reduce the risk of other adverse health effects, including heart attacks, atrial fibrillation, asthma, high blood pressure, and high blood pressure. other troubles, she notes. His co-author, Girardin Jean-Louis, adds that sleep apnea is under-recognized and rarely reported during routine physical examinations. "The majority of snorers are only diagnosed with sleep apnea when they are undergoing sleep badessment," he says. If you know that you are a chronic snorer, you should take this symptom seriously and do the same.

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