Simple lifestyle changes can add years onto your life, from exercising more, to eating healthier. Dr Chisom Ikeji has another easy “remedy” to help you live longer.
The US-based physician has more than 230,000 followers on TikTok and uses her channel to share different health advice, from ways to fix chapped lips to weight loss tips.
In one particular video she said: “What if I told you that I had a remedy that would help you live longer, enhance your memory, help with your creativity, keep you looking beautiful, help you with your weight loss goals, protect you against dementia, and even cancer, improve your immunity, decrease your risk for chronic disease, and improve your mood and lower anxiety, what would you say?”
While Dr Ikeji’s claim sounds too good to be true, the answer is sleep. She explained: “Getting adequate sleep is probably the most important thing you can do for yourself.
“All adults need seven to nine hours a night – there’s no exception, you’re not special, that’s how much you need to sleep.”
Sleep to lose weight
A number of studies have linked short sleep (less than seven hours a night) to a greater risk of weight gain and higher body mass index (BMI).
A study published in 2020 found adults who slept fewer than seven hours per night had a 41 percent increased risk of developing obesity. Sleeping longer didn’t increase the risk.
The effect of sleep on weight gain is believed to be affected by various factors, including hormones and motivation to exercise.
Sleep for your heart
Not getting enough sleep or getting low quality sleep may increase your risk of developing heart disease.
An analysis of 19 studies found sleeping less than seven hours per day resulted in a 13 percent increased risk of death from heart disease.
Another study found people who slept fewer than five hours per night had a 61 percent higher risk of developing high blood pressure than those who slept seven hours.
Sleep to protect against dementia
There’s some evidence to suggest a lack of sleep can increase a person’s risk of dementia.
Research shows one high of serious sleep loss raises levels of beta-amyloid and tau – the proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
One study suggested sleep deprivation could increase your dementia risk by 20 percent.