Sleep efficiency is more important than sleep duration
• More than 50 % of all employed people are suffering under sleep disturbances.
• The risk of sleep-related diseases is growing.
• Bad sleep enhances overweight.
• Sleep quality and sleep efficiency are decisive.
Already in 2010 the DAK (DAK-Health in Hamburg, Germany) has recorded in their health report that more than 50 % of all employed people are complaining about sleep disturbances. In total, that are more than 20 million affected people in Germany!
About the half of them is suffering under moderately severe (14 %) or severe (10 %) sleep disturbances, the rest under occasional sleep disturbances or under a no longer recreational sleep. This enlarges the risk of “sleep related health disturbances” like cardiovascular disturbances, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, metabolic diseases, mental disorder and depressions, stress symptoms, overweight and osteoporosis.
It seems, that sleep disturbances are also influencing the development of cancer, Alzheimer’s and dementia (University School of Medicine, St. Louis, journal SCIENCE 2012). I am convinced that not only sleep duration but rather sleep quality and sleep efficiency are decisive for health.
Out of the scientific point of view, sleep is the core for our health. Hence, since 25 years my appeal: If you want to live healthy you have to sleep efficiently, above all.
This concerns the steadily growing risk factor overweight, too. For this, sleep is as responsible as eating habits. Because, when you are having to less sleep during night, it is changing your eating habits during day. You are preferring snacks and fatty fast-food more often instead of healthier carbohydrate-based food (studies from Harvard Medical School).
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