Lack of Sleep May Increase Chances of Death on Old Men

A new study conducted at the University of Minnesota revealed that disrupted rest and activity rhythms can be associated with the increased mortality rates among older men. Th study suggests that waking early, staying up late and severely disturbed sleep patterns on older men may have a detrimental impact on their health.

The experiment involved about 3,000 men older than 67 and they were tested for rest and activity biological rhythms using a device called an actigraph which they wore on heir wrists. This device tracked participants' movements, including the peak times of rest and activity, as well as the robustness of the activities for 24 hours a day for almost two years. Results showed that men who had peak activity times that were the earliest or latest, in comparison with the group average, had muhc greater risk of death.

Among the 3,000 participants, 180 died since the study begun.

"It's important to have a regular routine of waking and going to sleep," said Misti Paudel, M.P.H., principal investigator of the study and a member of the School of Public Health. "A good night sleep is important."

This is the first study to report strong associations between disturbed rest and activity rhythms and mortality rates in older men, who are still living in their homes (not institutionalized) - however, studies in cancer patients as well as institutionalized Alzheimer's patients have reported similar findings.

Lack of sleep can lead to a number of problems in older adults including depression, memory problems, and decreased attentiveness, and also can lead to serious health problems such as an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

Another key study finding is that men with more robust rest/activity rhythms had much lower mortality rates. Having greater levels of activity during the day and/or lower levels of activity during the night (better sleep quality) are characteristics of robust rhythms.