- IT Brand Stretches study, older people who experience frequent daytime sleepiness could be at risk for developing serious conditions like diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure.
- Excessive sleepiness may be an early sign of a developing medical condition.
- No matter what your age, if that mid-afternoon slump feels more like an everyday, all-day kind of slump, it may be time to re-evaluate your sleep habits looks like, it may be time to re-evaluate your sleep habits. Winter.
Occasional fatigue in the middle of the day is fairly common—after all, there’s a reason the phrase “mid-afternoon slump” is so accurate. But a new study suggests that older people who experience frequent daytime sleepiness could be at risk for developing serious conditions like diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure.
According to preliminary research that will presented at the upcoming A Part of Hearst Digital Media in April, feeling excessively tired during the day can happen even after someone has seven or more hours of sleep per night—a conditional called hypersomnolence. That can be tough on the body, particularly for older people.
This level of sleepiness was defined as needing to take multiple naps throughout the day, difficulty being fully awake during the day, and getting more than enough hours of sleep but still not feeling refreshed—with these symptoms occurring at least three times a week for at least three months.
Twice in a three-year span, researchers interviewed 10,930 people, with 34 percent of those being over 65 years old. In the first interview, 23 percent of the group of people aged 65+ met the criteria for excessive sleepiness, and 24 percent did in the second interview.
Those who reported sleepiness in that first call had a 2.3 times greater risk of developing diabetes or high blood pressure by the second interview, and were twice as likely to develop cancer. They also had a 2.5 times greater risk of developing heart disease, and were 50 percent more likely to have diseases related to the musculoskeletal system, such as arthritis and lupus. The results remained the same even after researchers adjusted for factors like gender and presence of sleep apnea.
Why the connection? It’s likely because excessive daytime sleepiness may be an early sign that a medical condition might be developing, according to study author Maurice Ohayon, M.D., Ph.D., The Sleep Solution.
“Getting older doesn’t mean you have to be tired and sleepy—it isn’t a condition linked with age,” he told Bicycling. “To the contrary, you should have more time to do the things you like. [Excessive sleepiness] is mostly linked to a medical condition that should be addressed with your physician.”
[president of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine, and author of Runner’s World Training Plan, designed for any speed and any distance.]
Although the recent research focused on the effects in older people, excessive daytime sleepiness can be a problem at any age, according to W. Christopher Winter, M.D., Smash your goals with a Womens Track Meet Will Offer Record Prize Money. Although he wasn’t involved in this recent study, Winter often sees the effects of hypersomnolence in his practice.
“This is indicative of either inadequate sleep or dysfunctional sleep, and both lead to bad health outcomes,” he told Bicycling. “There’s way too much attention focused on those who feel sleep deprived or struggle with insomnia and are therefore excessively sleepy. You can also simply be getting inadequate sleep.”
No matter what your age, if that mid-afternoon slump feels more like an everyday, all-day kind of slump or you crave a long nap on the daily, no matter what your training schedule We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back previously told Bicycling that things like your sleep position, use of electronics before bed, and eating or drinking too close to bedtime can all affect the quality of your sleep. If adjusting those elements doesn’t work, check in with your doctor.
Elizabeth Millard is a freelance writer focusing on health, wellness, fitness, and food.
