Researchers have identified four sleeper profiles and some are associated with long-term chronic health problems.
- Researchers have identified 4 sleeper profiles.
- Poor sleep habits are strongly associated with long-term chronic health problems.
- The insomniac profile is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression and frailty.
To better assess the effect of sleep on health, a team led by researchers at Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development studied the sleep habits of about 3,700 people. They identified four types of sleeper profiles that can also help predict their long-term health status.
Sleep: there are 4 types of sleeper
For this study, scientists looked at participants’ sleep habits as well as chronic health problems they experienced 10 years apart. The volunteers were, among other things, questioned about the regularity and duration of their sleep and their daytime alertness. By compiling the data collected, the team managed to identify four types of sleep:
- Good sleepers: they have optimal and regular sleeping habits.
- Sleepers who catch up on the weekend: they have less regular sleep, in particular a short average sleep duration during the week. But they spend more time in Morpheus’ arms on weekends and public holidays/holidays.
- Insomniacs: They have sleep problems linked to clinical symptoms of insomnia such as short sleep durations, high daytime fatigue and long time to fall asleep. Less educated individuals and those facing unemployment were more likely to experience insomnia.
- “Nappers” or nap enthusiasts: they sleep less at night, but take naps during the day. Older people and retirees were more likely to have this profile.
More than half of the volunteers were in the insomnia or nap groups. However, these are the profiles that present the greatest risk of having health problems, according to the data. “Insomniac sleepers had a 72% to 188% higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression and frailty. Being a naper was linked to increased risks of diabetes, cancer and frailty”warn the researchers in their article published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. Being a weekend sleeper or a good sleeper was not associated with chronic illnesses.
The results also showed that people were unlikely to change their sleep habits over the course of 10 years, especially for insomniacs and nap addicts.
Sleep disorder: advice must be individualized
Professor Soomi Lee who led the study, notes: “These findings may suggest that it is very difficult to change our sleep habits because sleep health is such an integral part of our overall lifestyle. It may also suggest that people are still unaware of the importance of their sleep and health-related sleep behaviors..
“We need to increase our efforts to raise awareness about good sleep health. There are sleep hygiene behaviors that people could adopt to improve their sleep, such as not using cell phones in bed, doing sleep “exercise regularly and avoid caffeine in the late afternoon”, she adds in the communicated.
The specialist and her team suggest that the programse prevention of sleep disorders are not “universal” and should instead target patients based on their sleeper profile and “various factors, including chronic disease risk and socioeconomic vulnerability.”