Three new studies show just how critical it is for adults to seek treatment for a sleep illness and aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
One study of 2,240 adults examines the link between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and mortality in Asians. Results show that all-cause mortality risk was 2.5 times higher and cardiovascular mortality risk was more than 4 times higher among people with severe OSA. The results are consistent with previous studies in the United States and other countries.
Another study of 2,673 patients in Australia found that untreated OSA is associated with an increased risk of motor vehicle crashes in very sleepy men as well as near-misses in men and women. Participants with untreated OSA reported crashes at a rate three times higher than the general community.
The last study examined the relationship between sleep duration and self-rated health in Korean adults. Results show that short sleep duration of 5 hours or less per day and long sleep duration of 9 hours or more per day were associated with poor self-rated health. The results add weight to recent data emphasizing the importance of adequate sleep in physical and mental health.
All three of the studies are in the October 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, which is published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
