Sleep can be hard to come by, especially in busy and stressful lives. A lack of quality sleep is something that our client assessments often show and this can affect health in nearly every aspect: physical, mental and social. In our home base of Singapore, residents fare particularly poorly. But improvements to sleep, and health, can be made by taking small and consistent steps in the right direction.
Health authorities advise that the magic amount of sleep for health lies somewhere between 7 to 9 hours per night. Where is the data to support this? We share 3 recent studies (links to studies are at Bottom of Page) on cardiovascular disease, depression and dementia that support the advice.
Association of Sleep Duration, Napping, and Sleep Patterns With Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Nationwide Twin Study; 2022
Association between sleep duration and depression in US adults: A cross-sectional study; 2022
Note: OR = Odds Ratio
Association of sleep duration in middle and old age with incidence of dementia; 2021
Final Thoughts
Hitting the sweet spot, 7 or 8 hours of actual sleep, boosts energy levels, supports weight management, healthy eating patterns, and lowers risk for diabetes and hypertension. A regular (consistent) bedtime and having good sleep hygiene can dramatically improve sleep quality.
Proven sleep hygiene techniques include avoiding caffeine after noon (or early afternoon), putting down the small screen and having a cool bedroom - especially in Singapore. Exercise and breath work also deliver great results. For more tip and tricks, learn more here. If sleep still eludes, speaking to a sleep specialist is an option to be considered.
For most people, improving health is about finding motivation and prioritising self-care with an ultimate goal of taking action. If you want to take effective and targeted steps that fit into your unique lifestyle, The Whole Health Practice is here to help.
Whether your interest is healthspan and longevity, to beat chronic illness or to enhance your mental health and well-being, our consultations and programs deliver results that are tailored to your needs.
Our foundational Whole Health Consult identifies and prioritises the key factors - known and unknown - that affect health and wellbeing. It provides targeted recommendations tailored to you, the individual, and your unique lifestyle.
Stay Healthy,
Alastair
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Achieve your Sleep and Health Goals
Your health is complex and affected by multiple factors within and outside of your control. Our consults and programmes address the whole person, the root causes of ill health and maximising your health, performance & vitality.
Take the first step and arrange an introductory call. Contact us, by phone or WhatsApp, to discuss how we can support your journey to health. We are based in Singapore and work with clients globally.
Book a Whole Health Consult to assess, identify and prioritise key factors (known and unknown) that affect your health. And receive personalised recommendations on how to address them.
Want to put recommendations into action? Learn more about our programmes for individuals or teams.
Related Studies
Lam, C.C.B., Mina, T., Xie, W. et al. The relationships between sleep and adiposity amongst multi-ethnic Asian populations: a cross-sectional analysis of the Health for Life in Singapore (HELIOS) study. Int J Obes (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-024-01666-5
Lu Dong, Yongwei Xie, Xiaohua Zou, Association between sleep duration and depression in US adults: A cross-sectional study, Journal of Affective Disorders, Volume 296, 2022, Pages 183-188, ISSN 0165-0327, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.09.075.
Wang Z, Yang W, Li X, Qi X, Pan KY, Xu W. Association of Sleep Duration, Napping, and Sleep Patterns With Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Nationwide Twin Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022 Aug 2;11(15):e025969. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.122.025969. Epub 2022 Jul 26. PMID: 35881527; PMCID: PMC9375484.
Sabia, S., Fayosse, A., Dumurgier, J. et al. Association of sleep duration in middle and old age with incidence of dementia. Nat Commun 12, 2289 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22354-2
Lee YY, Lau JH, Vaingankar JA, Sambasivam R, Shafie S, Chua BY, Chow WL, Abdin E, Subramaniam M. Sleep quality of Singapore residents: findings from the 2016 Singapore mental health study. Sleep Med X. 2022 Jan 28;4:100043. doi: 10.1016/j.sleepx.2022.100043. PMID: 35243325; PMCID: PMC8861160.
Svensson T, Saito E, Svensson AK, Melander O, Orho-Melander M, Mimura M, Rahman S, Sawada N, Koh WP, Shu XO, Tsuji I, Kanemura S, Park SK, Nagata C, Tsugane S, Cai H, Yuan JM, Matsuyama S, Sugawara Y, Wada K, Yoo KY, Chia KS, Boffetta P, Ahsan H, Zheng W, Kang D, Potter JD, Inoue M. Association of Sleep Duration With All- and Major-Cause Mortality Among Adults in Japan, China, Singapore, and Korea. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Sep 1;4(9):e2122837. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.22837. PMID: 34477853; PMCID: PMC8417759.
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