Every additional hour of sleep significantly lower odds of having conditions like obesity and sleep apnea, according to a study from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the NIH’s All of Us Research Program, and Google. The study sheds light on how sleep duration, quality and consistency influence a wide array of health outcomes.
It’s the largest study of its kind based on nearly 6.5 million nights of sleep from over 6,700 Fitbit users participating in the All of Us Research Program collected over an average of 4.5 years of wear.
We all know a good night’s sleep is important, but when it comes to the daily variations in sleep duration and quality, most people may not realize the impact for long-term health.
The main takeaway from this study is that consistent sleep is just as important as getting enough shut-eye. Let that be a wake-up call.
Here are six key findings from the research
- Sleep duration: Every additional hour of sleep was associated with a significantly lower odds of having conditions like obesity and sleep apnea. Not just too little but also too much sleep was also found to be associated with various conditions.
- Sleep stages: The balance of REM, light, and deep sleep shown in Fitbit data seemed to play a crucial role in heart health and mental wellbeing.
- Restless sleep: Increases in the Fitbit restlessness metric were linked to higher odds of sleep disorders and hypothyroidism.
- Sleep irregularity: Inconsistent sleep patterns were tied to a wide range of issues involving nearly every organ system. Strong associations with sleep irregularity included high blood pressure, obesity, psychiatric disorders (depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder), and migraine headache.
- Demographic differences: The study found significant differences in median sleep duration across demographics. For example, women tended to sleep longer than men, and White participants slept longer than Black participants. This highlights the need to consider individual factors and potential health disparities when researching and promoting sleep health.
- Lifestyle role: The study found that lifestyle factors like smoking and alcohol intake were associated with differences in sleep duration. This underscores the interconnectedness of health behaviors and the importance of addressing multiple lifestyle factors for improving sleep and overall well-being.
