Poor Sleep Linked to 172 Diseases, New Study Finds

A new international study published in 'Health Data Science' links poor sleep habits to an increased risk of 172 diseases, including cirrhosis of the liver and gangrene.

The study, which included more than 88,000 adults, highlights the importance of sleep consistency, beyond just duration. Researchers from Peking University and the Military Medical University of China analyzed data from the UK Biobank and found that inconsistent sleep is associated with an increased risk of many diseases.

Specifically, the study showed that sleeping late (after 00:30) is associated with a 2.57 times greater risk of cirrhosis of the liver, while instability in sleep patterns increases the risk of gangrene by 2.61 times.

The study also debunks the myth that sleeping more than nine hours is detrimental to health. The researchers emphasize that sleep consistency is just as important as its duration.

Shengfeng Wang, the lead author of the study, stated that the findings underscore the neglected importance of sleep consistency and that it is time to broaden the definition of good sleep beyond its duration.

The next steps for the research team are to investigate the possible causal relationship between sleep, inflammation, and diseases, as well as to evaluate the impact of sleep interventions on the outcome of chronic diseases.