A recent study found a stronger correlation between reduced degrees of loneliness and better sleep health, especially among younger individuals.
At the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting, the study's results were presented.
The results indicate a substantial relationship between significantly lower levels of overall loneliness, emotional loneliness, and social loneliness and greater sleep health. All ages showed a decreased sense of overall and emotional loneliness in response to better sleep health, while younger people showed a stronger correlation. Age, however, had no effect on the association between social loneliness and sleep health.
"There is a critical need for providers to better understand and treat loneliness," lead author and principal investigator Joseph Dzierzewski stated. Dzierzewski is vice president of research at the National Sleep Foundation in Washington, D.C. and holds a doctorate in clinical psychology.
Our findings demonstrate how crucial sleep is to understanding loneliness throughout the adult years. Perhaps making an effort to enhance sleep quality could help reduce loneliness, particularly in young individuals.
Joseph Dzierzewski, Vice President of Research, National Sleep Foundation, Washington, D.C.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine asserts that getting enough sleep is critical for good health. To support optimal health, productivity, and alertness during the day, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the Sleep Research Society advise adults to get seven hours of sleep per night on a regular basis.
2,297 persons with a mean age of 44 were included in the study; 51% of them were men. Participants filled out a loneliness scale and an online sleep health questionnaire. Along with moderation analyses, the researchers used correlation and linear regression analysis to examine the data.
The U.S. Surgeon General issued a warning in 2023 on loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection to public health problems. It stated that over half of American adults reported feeling quantifiably lonely even prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The authors contend that enhancing sleep health should be a key component of initiatives and programs designed to lessen loneliness, particularly for younger persons.
Why younger adults might experience more sleep-related benefits to loneliness than older adults is unknown and intriguing. - certainly worth further investigation.
Joseph Dzierzewski, Vice President of Research, National Sleep Foundation, Washington, D.C.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Priyanka Pandey/MSM)
