Researchers from the Finnish Institute for Occupational Health Research wanted to understand the impact of sleep on work and sick leave.
Scientists studied for 7 years the sleep and professional activity of 1875 women and 1895 men.
The results of this study reveal that insomnia, morning awakenings, consumption of sleeping pills, have a real impact on work, because they are the main cause of sick leave.
When the body is exhausted, its immune defenses are less effective and it is more difficult to protect itself against infections.
“The duration of sleep optimal with the least risk of disease is 7.6 hours for women and 7.8 hours for men. Although the persistence of other health problems affect people’s well-being, health problems could decrease by 28% if sleep disorders were treated and cured” explains Tea Lallukka, researcher in nutrition and epidemiology, co-author of the study.
Sleep disorders, a public health problem
More than a third of French people (34%) have consulted a specialist for their sleep disorders, according to a recent poll by Opinion Matters for Withings, a company that manufactures the Withings Aura smart alarm clock.
Sleep disorders today affect 20% of the population of industrialized countries. They are responsible for a large number of health problems. Indeed, sleep deficiency can be responsible for car accidents, industrial disasters, metabolic disorders, and heart problems. Moreover, people in lack of sleep have a higher risk of developing chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, obesity and cancer. They also experience increased early mortality.
A few rules for better sleep
It’s important to have “sleep habits” by going to bed at the same time every night and getting up at the same time every morning. It is recommended to have a light dinner, to avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol before bed and not to doze in front of a screen.
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