Health
Study associates more REM sleep with lower risk of dozens of diseases
Fox News reports that greater REM sleep was associated with lower risks of 83 diseases, while experts say disrupted sleep may be an early warning sign.
The short version
- Researchers in China analyzed sleep data from 95,559 adults over a nearly nine-year follow-up period.[Fox News]
- Greater REM sleep was associated with lower risks of 83 diseases, including dementia, Parkinson's and heart failure.[Fox News]
- Six to eight hours of nightly sleep was linked to the lowest risk for 69 diseases, while under five hours was linked to higher risk for 37 conditions.[Fox News]
- Outside experts caution that higher REM sleep alone may not necessarily lower risk, and disrupted sleep may signal early illness.[Fox News]
Key facts
- Greater REM sleep was associated with lower risks of 83 diseases, including dementia, Parkinson's disease and heart failure.[Fox News]
- Greater REM sleep was associated with an 80% lower relative risk of Parkinson's, a 46% lower risk of dementia and a 26% lower risk of heart failure.[Fox News]
- Greater deep sleep was associated with lower risks of seven conditions, including type 2 diabetes and major depressive disorder.[Fox News]
- The study involved 95,559 adults who wore wrist accelerometers continuously for seven consecutive days and nights.[Fox News]
- Researchers in China used deep-learning algorithms and health records to assess associations over a nearly nine-year follow-up period.[Fox News]
- Greater night-to-night sleep irregularity and more nighttime wakefulness were associated with higher risks of several conditions, including anxiety and substance use disorders.[Fox News]
- The findings were published September 17 in the journal PLOS Medicine.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.