According to the latest reports, it seems that chronic insomnia might be connected to higher risks for diabetes, heart disease, and depression. Here are the details that have been discovered about the matter.
Chronic insomnia effects
Recent research indicates that your sleep patterns could be connected to severe underlying health issues. The findings show that adults who suffer from chronic insomnia for a minimum of ten years have a significantly higher risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and depression.
However, the news isn’t all negative. The study also discovered that adults who compensate for lost sleep during the week by taking naps on the weekends do not face an increased risk of these underlying health problems.
The study, which was published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, examined data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study.
This is a survey of people aged between 25 and 74 years old who live in the continental United States. The researchers analyzed information about sleep habits and chronic health conditions collected from around 3,700 individuals between 2004 and 2006, and from 2013 to 2017.
Four distinct sleep patterns
Good sleepers: People with “optimal sleep health across all dimensions”
Insomnia sleepers: People suffering from clinical insomnia, including short sleep duration, high daytime exhaustion, and difficulty falling asleep
Weekend catch-up sleepers: Those who may have irregular or shorter sleep during the week but longer sleep times on weekends or non-work days
Nappers: Those who typically slept well but took frequent daytime naps
It was found that more than half of the participants had either insomnia or napping habits, both of which are considered to be sub-optimal sleep patterns.
The data revealed that people with chronic insomnia were 72-188% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and frailty as compared to those who had good sleep patterns.
Overall, insomnia sleepers had a higher risk of developing a chronic condition by 28-81%.
According to the study, individuals who take naps at any time of day are at a higher risk of developing diabetes, cancer, and frailty.
The findings also suggest that those with lower levels of education and who are unemployed are more likely to experience insomnia, while older adults and retirees are more prone to taking naps.
