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A new large-scale study found people fall into four distinct sleep habit groups.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania analyzed the sleep patterns of nearly 3,700 volunteers using data from a global study called “Average Age in the U.S.” They focused on how participants rated their sleep over a ten-year span (2004–2014). Those ratings helped the team track how sleep habits change with age and how those changes may be linked to chronic disease.
How the Study Was Conducted
Based on their self-reported sleep, each participant fell into one of four categories: good sleepers, weekend catch-up sleepers, people with insomnia, and daytime nappers.
Good sleepers said they consistently slept well and felt satisfied and energized during the day.
Weekend catch-up sleepers didn’t get enough sleep during the workweek and tried to make up for it on the weekends.
More than half of the participants fell into the insomnia and daytime napping groups. People with insomnia generally slept less than participants in the other groups and reported feeling tired and dissatisfied with their nighttime rest. By contrast, daytime nappers typically slept well at night.
Next, the team looked at how disease risk patterns differed among these four groups. The researchers controlled for factors such as overall health, socioeconomic status, and work environment.
What the Study Found
People with insomnia had an 81 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression compared with good sleepers.
Daytime nappers had a 128 percent higher likelihood of developing diabetes than good sleepers. They also reported 62 percent higher levels of fatigue, according to the Daily Mail.
Sumi Lee, director of the Sleep, Stress, and Health Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania, says several factors may explain these patterns. For example, people with insomnia are more likely to be unemployed or to have lower levels of education.
Lee says the results suggest sleep habits are hard to change. She adds that many people don’t recognize the importance of sleep or which patterns are best for health.
Lee suggested simple steps to improve sleep: avoid using mobile phones in bed, exercise regularly, and avoid caffeine in the afternoon.
What Other Research Shows
Other studies have linked lack of sleep to higher risks of dementia, stroke, heart attack, and liver disease.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines insufficient sleep as not giving the body and mind enough time to recover from daily stress. Chronic stress contributes to many illnesses.
Excessive sleep can also be harmful. Johns Hopkins University reports that oversleeping is associated with higher risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression, and it often causes severe headaches.
Some researchers suggest daytime nappers tend to have a higher body mass index (BMI), which raises the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Other studies have linked excessive sleep with increased inflammation in the body.
