A large-scale study has found that people who get more rapid eye movement (REM) sleep are at a lower risk of developing a wide range of diseases, including dementia, Parkinson's disease, and heart failure. The study, which analyzed data from over 95,000 adults, also found that those who get more deep sleep are at a lower risk of certain conditions, including type 2 diabetes and major depressive disorder.
The researchers used wrist accelerometers to measure sleep patterns over a period of seven consecutive days and nights. They then analyzed the data using deep-learning algorithms to determine the amount of REM and deep sleep each participant got. The study found that greater amounts of REM sleep were associated with a significantly lower risk of several diseases, including a 80% lower relative risk of Parkinson's disease and a 46% lower risk of dementia.
In contrast, sleeping fewer than five hours per night was linked to an increased risk of 37 health conditions. The study also found that sleep duration was highly linked to disease outcome, with six to eight hours per night being the "sweet spot" associated with the lowest risk for 69 diseases.
The researchers noted that the study had some limitations, including the fact that it was observational and could only show an association between sleep patterns and disease risk. They also pointed out that the study population was less diverse and generally healthier than the overall population, so the findings may not apply equally to everyone.
Experts say that while the study suggests a link between sleep patterns and disease risk, more research is needed to determine whether increasing REM or deep sleep can help prevent certain diseases. They recommend following general sleep hygiene practices, such as maintaining an optimal sleep environment and keeping a consistent sleep schedule.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
View original reporting →
