Australian study shows that sleep deprivation can have a long-term effect: if you suffer from insomnia for a month and then feel «peppy», you may face serious consequences for your psyche after a year.
Scientists from La Trobe University analyzed the relationship of poor sleep and mental health problems in the future. To do this, they used data from the long-term NZAVS study, which assesses the health status of hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders over 20 years.
Between 2013 and 2018, the study asked volunteers to report how many hours of sleep each night in the previous month, and the researchers also assessed their stress levels with a special test. In total, over five years, data was collected on the quality of sleep of more than 133,000 New Zealanders. Using mathematical modeling, the authors of the new study assessed the relationship with sleep duration and mental health of participants after a year.
It turned out that about 40% of New Zealanders sleep less than the recommended 7-9 hours, and lack of sleep does have a delayed effect . Those participants who reported not sleeping well for a month showed signs of common psychiatric disorders a year later. Moreover, sleep problems were not always associated with psychological stress.
At the same time, those participants who slept well had significantly higher levels of mental health a year later.
“Encouraging adequate sleep duration can lead to improved psychological well-being,” the study authors concluded.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, a person needs different amounts of sleep depending on age:
- Newborns (0-3 months) — 14-17 hours
- Infants (4-11 months) — 12-15 hours
- Toddlers (1-2 years) — 11-14 hours
- Preschoolers (3-5 years) — 10-13 hours
- Children (6-13) — 9-11 hours
- Teens (14-17 years) — 8-10 hours
- Adults ( 18-64) — 7-9 hours
- Elderly people (65+) — 7-8 hours< /span>
Constant lack of sleep not only impairs human cognitive functions, but also negatively affects the digestive system and weight, weakens the immune system and can lead to fight chronic diseases.