An extra hour of sleep a night can change your life

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Just a little more sleep can improve your eating habits, help you lose weight … and maybe even extend your life.

We live in a sleep-deprived world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 35% of Americans get less than 7 hours of sleep a night. Some people stay up late working, watching TV or surfing the web. Others suffer from conditions like insomnia, sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome that keep people awake. 

If you’re one of millions of sleep deprived adults, research suggests that getting just one extra hour of sleep each night can lead to better eating habits and may help you lose weight.

A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reports that healthy adults who got just four hours of nightly sleep over a two-week period ate more and gained weight, and their abdominal fat grew, particularly around internal organs such as the kidneys, liver and intestines.

The good news is that it’s possible to undo the damaging effects of sleep loss on our diet and waistline. Another study, this one published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine, showed the benefits of getting more sleep. 

Participants counseled on how to improve their sleeping habits extended their sleep by more than an hour each night, consumed fewer calories each day and reported feeling better and having more energy. They also lost more weight than a control group.

It also appears that a good night sleep may extend your life. A study by Stanford University researchers and the Danish Center for Sleep Medicine found that reducing sleep disruptions, improving quality of rest and getting an adequate amount of sleep each night can help ward of diseases like Parkinson's and extend a person's life by more than 8 years.

What is a good night’s sleep? The American Academy of Sleep Medicine defines it as at least 7 hours for adults, more for children and teenagers.

If you suffer from a sleeping disorder, you should discuss the issue with a doctor. If you’re not sleeping for other reasons, consider these tips from the CDC to help you get a good night’s sleep:

·       Be consistent. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including weekends.

·       Sleep in darkness. Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing and at a comfortable temperature.

  • Unplug at bedtime. Remove electronic devices, including TVs, computers and smart phones, from the bedroom

  • Don’t eat before bedtime. Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol.

  • Get some exercise. Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night.

At Methuselah Foundation, we are committed to making 90 the new 50 by 2030. But we cannot rely on scientific and medical advances alone to achieve this goal.  We must each play a role in our own longevity by making healthy lifestyle choices.  

And it starts with a good night’s sleep.