The importance of sleep for human health has been emphasized many times, but scientists in a recent study once again proved how crucial it really is. It was revealed that disruption of sleep patterns may lead to at least 172 types of diseases. This was reported based on Science journal.
According to the data, the study analyzed information from more than 88,000 participants of the UK Biobank. These data were studied by researchers at the Medical Research Center of Peking University, China. They deeply examined the relationship between people’s circadian rhythms — that is, the stability of sleep and wake times — and their health condition.
Connection between sleep and diseases
Scientists believe that if a person has negative sleep-related habits, the risk of developing dozens of illnesses rises sharply. For instance, if someone regularly goes to bed after 12:30 a.m., their risk of developing liver cirrhosis may increase by 257%.
In addition, significant changes in daily sleep patterns, over a long-term period (6.8 years), can almost triple the probability of developing gangrene.
Habits and consequences
Experts emphasize that many people tend to delay their bedtime because of evening alcohol consumption. This increases the likelihood of liver-related diseases. Moreover, when sleep times vary constantly, people pay less attention to other healthy habits, such as maintaining a diet or engaging in physical activity. This, in turn, contributes to the development of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and immunity-related disorders.
Scientists’ conclusions
“Our findings highlight that the importance of regular and sufficient sleep is still underestimated,” said lead researcher Shenfen Wang. According to him, late sleeping has a negative impact, but other factors may also play a role.
At the same time, if a person manages to fall asleep before 1:00 a.m. and sleep at least until 8:00 a.m., it is not considered highly dangerous. Experts remind that the key point is not to skip sleep and to maintain a lifestyle that does not endanger health.
Conclusion
Thus, neglecting sleep may pave the way for hundreds of diseases. By keeping a proper sleep routine, a person not only strengthens their health but also significantly improves the quality of their life.
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