Though insomnia affects both men and women alike, the sleeping disorder was linked to an increased risk of mortality in men
Insomnia is the most common sleeping disorder in the world, affecting more than 30 percent of the American population. As it is, individuals today sleep 20 percent lesser than they did 100 years ago, this sleeping disorder accounts for all the more sleep loss. According to recent statistics, more than half of Americans lose sleep due to stress or anxiety and between 40 percent and 60 percent of people over the age of 60 suffer from insomnia.
Researchers of a new study revealed in a press statement that this sleeping disorder was linked to an increased risk of mortality among men.
"Insomnia is a common health issue, particularly in older adults, but the link between this common sleep disorder and its impact on the risk of death has been unclear," said Yanping Li, PhD, a research fellow in the Channing Division of Network Medicine at BWH and lead author of the paper. "Our research shows that among men who experience specific symptoms of insomnia, there is a modest increase risk in death from cardiovascular-related issues."
For the study researchers examined 23,000 men with self-reported insomnia symptoms for a period of six years. During this time, they reported 2025 deaths using information from government and family sources. After taking into consideration factors like lifestyle, age and other chronic conditions, researchers noted that men who reported difficulty initiating sleep and non-restorative sleep had a 55 percent and 32 percent increased risk of CVD-related mortality over the six year follow up, respectively, when compared to men who did not report these insomnia-related symptoms.
"We know that sleep is important for cardiovascular health and many studies have linked poor or insufficient sleep with increased risk factors for cardiovascular-related diseases," said Xiang Gao, MD, PhD, a researcher in the Channing Division of Network Medicine at BWH and Harvard School of Public Health and senior author of this study. "Now we know that not only can poor sleep impact disease risk, but it may also impact our longevity. While further research is necessary to confirm these findings, there is overwhelming evidence that practicing good sleep hygiene and prioritizing sufficient and restful sleep is an often overlooked but important modifiable risk factor in overall health."
