Good sleep habits help with longevity

STUDY

In Brazil, extending life by up to five years is far from being a reality, as poor sleep is usually a common complaint.

Did you know that quality sleep can increase life expectancy by up to five years? The estimate is part of the study presented this week at the Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology. Four days before the National Sleep Week – which takes place between the 13th and 19th of March –, specialist in Sleep Medicine Lívio Martins Teixeira assists those who decided to adopt good habits to guarantee this longevity.

Applied to more than 172,000 people between 2013 and 2018 as part of the National Health Survey conducted annually by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US National Center for Health Statistics, the survey released in the Congress addressed five factors: optimal sleep duration of seven to eight hours; ease of falling asleep; ease in staying asleep; medication dispensing; and refreshment after sleep.

Specialist in Otorhinolaryngology and Sleep Medicine by the Brazilian Association of Otorhinolaryngology and Cervico-Facial Surgery (ABORL-CCF) and by the Brazilian Medical Association (AMB), Teixeira comments that quality sleep is one in which people wake up rested and willing.

“And that, throughout the day, you don’t notice fatigue, which allows you to carry out your activities normally”, he adds.

According to him – who shares guidelines on his Instagram profile (@drlivioteixeira) –, there are several measures to ensure quality sleep, collectively called “sleep hygiene”.

“The main ones are: maintaining regularity, that is, having fixed hours to sleep and wake up; have a quality diet; do adequate and regular physical activities; avoid using stimulating drinks, especially at night; always have a suitable environment for sleep, with a comfortable bed and silence. These are habits that we must maintain so that the moments of relaxation during the night are repairing ”, he explains.

sleep deprivation

In Brazil, extending life by up to five years is far from being a reality, as poor sleep is usually a common complaint. According to a study prepared by scientists from the University of São Paulo (USP) and the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), published in the journal Sleep Epidemiology, almost 66% of Brazilians face problems related to sleep.

In all, there are more than 80 disorders responsible for sleep deprivation, according to Teixeira, the most prevalent being insomnia, snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

“In general, the main indication that someone suffers from one of these disorders is the impact on quality of life. The person will complain of daytime sleepiness, that he woke up tired, that the sleep was not restful. And when this is quite usual and recurrent, lasts for more than three months, it should be investigated”, he points out.

According to Teixeira – founder of Clínica MedSono Manaus –, the sleep doctor can help identify these more disorders and offer the appropriate treatment, whether medication, surgery or complementary.

“The treatment of patients with sleep disorders is always individualized and planning is set up together with the patient”, he emphasizes.

With advisory information*