Sleep Too Much?

[Rogue]

Too much sleep in middle age hits brain power, British researchers say
JUNE 28, 2014 11:42PM

HAVING too much sleep in middle age could be as bad as not getting enough, British researchers say.

A UK study of almost 9000 men and women has found people aged 50 to 64 who sleep less than six and more than eight hours a night have worse decision-making ability and memories.

But for older adults aged 65 to 89, brain power was only impaired if they slept over eight hours a night.

And getting the right amount of sleep at an older age may prevent mental illness in later life such as dementia, the researchers at the University of Warwick suggested.
“Sleep is important for good health and mental well-being,” Professor Francesco Cappuccio said.

“Optimising sleep at an older age may help to delay the decline in brain function seen with age, or may slow or prevent the rapid decline that leads to dementia.”

Co-author Dr Michelle Miller said the study’s finding suggested the amount of sleep people need and its effect on their health changes with age.

“Six to eight hours of sleep per night is particularly important for optimum brain function in younger adults,” Dr Miller said.

“These results are consistent with our previous research, which showed six to eight hours per night was optimal for physical health, including lowest risk of developing obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.”

Prior studies have shown getting enough sleep allows the brain to cleanse itself of harmful toxins accumulated during waking hours.

It is less apparent why too much sleep could be harmful but existing research has linked oversleeping with medical problems such as heart disease and diabetes.

But researchers have said the link may be partly due to oversleeping being more common among those suffering from depression, the unemployed and the poor, who are more likely to suffer health problems.

The findings of the latest study were published in the journal Plos One, based on data from 3968 men and 4821 women between 50 and 90 in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

They registered the quality and quantity of the subjects’ sleep over one month.
Originally published as Too much sleep ‘bad for brain’

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/too-much-sleep-in-middle-age-hits-brain-power-british-researchers-say/story-fneuz9ev-1226970344844

   

[Agartha]

Very interesting.........luckily I sleep the right amount of hours.....
and I'm not middle age yet. But I agree......when I see how different the health of active elderly is from those that were not.

Did you know that now middle age starts at 53? (and not 45 like it used to be).

[Rogue]

Lol theres hope for all of us. I always try to get 6 - 8 hours sleep. I useless with any less, and can't sleep for any more.

[Agartha]

Lol theres hope for all of us. I always try to get 6 - 8 hours sleep. I useless with any less, and can't sleep for any more.

That's the perfect amount really, so you are doing it right........... add 30 minutes a day of exercise and you'll live forever!!

[X]

yup on the exercise...im immortal!!


I do however want 10 hours a night of sleep

[Monk (in hiding)]

50 to 64 ain't middle age. lol

50 is pushing it and by the time one hit's age 55, middle age has past.

"Closely approaching retirement age" means age 60 and over;
"Advanced age" means age 55 and over;
"Closely approaching advanced age" means age 50-54;
"Younger individual" is labeled by ages 45-49 and those below age 45.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) considers a person’s age because age is very important to a person’s ability to adapt to new work, especially when combined with physical and/or mental limitations.. Starting at age 45, a person is less likely to be able to adjust to new work. SSA may consider a claimant to be in the next older age category if the claimant is close to that older age which can change a determination from “not disabled” to "disabled."

[Agartha]

VM, my generation is different: our 40s are what used to be your 30s......we are aging slower and being young for longer.....sorry, but it's true.Only a generation ago most people were old at 60.

I feel and look a lot younger than my age....

But, age is what you feel......

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-19622330

[X]

I'm living forever...so...no old age pension for me when I turn 65....government told me...
you live forever boy...you ain't gettin nuffin!


I said screw you government!

[Monk (in hiding)]

VM, my generation is different: our 40s are what used to be your 30s......we are aging slower and being young for longer.....sorry, but it's true.Only a generation ago most people were old at 60.

I feel and look a lot younger than my age....

But, age is what you feel......

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-19622330

Not true, you have ben hoodwinked. People are now living shorter lives.

40's is still young.

50's is when one starts paying for all their sins.

60's, many never make it to age 65.

[Monk (in hiding)]

Why We Live Longer These Days, and Why You Should Worry

One of the most misunderstood statistical figures is life expectancy. We hear the phrase bandied about as a marker of how long we can expect to live. Today, we can feel very smug, as on a worldwide basis, we now live longer than ever before. I won’t bore you with a mass of data, but suffice to say that a baby born today has a life expectancy in the eighties. In comparison, a baby born in the mid-19th century had a life expectancy in the fifties.

The most naïve mistake a person can make is to assume that ‘life expectancy’ is the age at which you die, but this is incorrect.

Governments and health authorities routinely bombard us with advice on healthy living – don’t smoke, regulate your drinking, take exercise, be careful of fatty foods, eat lots of fruit and vegetables, cut down on your caffeine, etc, etc. All no doubt sane advice, though (with tongue in cheek) it occurs to this cynic at least that over the past thirty years, the medical profession has done a brilliant psychological operation in persuading the general public that if they get ill with anything, it’s their own fault for their choice of lifestyle.


http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-gift-aging/201301/why-we-live-longer-these-days-and-why-you-should-worry

[Monk (in hiding)]

Americans have shorter, sicker lives

Americans have shorter life expectancies and poorer health than people in 16 comparable countries -- Canada, Australia, Japan, and 13 countries in Western Europe -- in spite of the U.S. spending far more on health care.

That's the damning conclusion of a recent report by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine.


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/study-americans-have-shorter-sicker-lives/

[Rogue]

........... add 30 minutes a day of exercise and you'll live forever!!

Doh!! Exercise!!!   

[Monk (in hiding)]

30 minutes a day is not enough!

[Rinoa]

........... add 30 minutes a day of exercise and you'll live forever!!

Doh!! Exercise!!!   

Dancing to music can be exercise and fun too

[Agartha]

Not true, you have ben hoodwinked.  People are now living shorter lives.

40's is still young.

50's is when one starts paying for all their sins.

60's, many never make it to age 65.

Blimey, VM!!! Not everybody is the same: my dad is 68 and he looks and feels 55. He is very healthy, a pensioner but still works a few hours a week. Could be genes, could be he is a positive bubbly person (and a total flirter and womaniser!! LOL).....but it also helps that he eats a good diet, doesn't drink and doesn't smoke.

[Monk (in hiding)]

Not true, you have ben hoodwinked.  People are now living shorter lives.

40's is still young.

50's is when one starts paying for all their sins.

60's, many never make it to age 65.

Blimey, VM!!! Not everybody is the same: my dad is 68 and he looks and feels 55. He is very healthy, a pensioner but still works a few hours a week. Could be genes, could be he is a positive bubbly person (and a total flirter and womaniser!! LOL).....but it also helps that he eats a good diet, doesn't drink and doesn't smoke.

At age 68, things can change overnight. Also, remember what I said about exercise and moderate drinking?

So what, people are living longer, what is their quality of life like? My mother lived to 91. I'm sure you see all those widows looking at the floor using their walkers to get around. How grand is that, eh.

Not only that, pensions are becoming a thing of the past.

[Agartha]

I have been working with the elderly for a few years now, and I don't want to live to 95 if I'm going to be unresponsive and totally dependent on others. I rather pass away at 80 whilst still independent and with my cognitive abilities still intact......but unfortunately we do not get to choose.

But, like I said before, we are all different.....and some age better or worse than others.  

[Monk (in hiding)]

I have been working with the elderly for a few years now, and I don't want to live to 95 if I'm going to be unresponsive and totally dependent on others. I rather pass away at 80 whilst still independent and with my cognitive abilities still intact......but unfortunately we do not get to choose.

But, like I said before, we are all different.....and some age better or worse than others.  

Money will be the issue here in the states. Social security age keeps going up, pensions about finished, nice thought to drag your butt into work at age 70, otherwise starve.

The Average Retirement Savings in America Are Not Nearly Enough

What is the Average Amount Per Age Group?

The numbers mentioned from the Fidelity Investments study are an average of all retirement counts in the country. However, it could be beneficial for you to know what the average savings is for your age group, just to see how your account compares. According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, these are the average retirement amounts saved broken down by age groups.
•Under 35:              $6,306
•35 – 44:                 $22,460
•45 – 54:                 $43,797
•55 – 64:                 $69,127
•65 – 75:                 $56,212

The scariest number of all is that 39 percent of people aged 55 and older have less than $25,000 in their retirement accounts.

[Lenzabi]

Though Americans were spending more on health insurance, they hardly get to use it till it is too late or the health issue is severe. We are forced as a culture to work or be seen as lazy.

Add that despite health care which could deny coverage for all the money the average American paid for it, our food companies replaced fats with sugars, Europeans visiting may comment on how over sweet breads are for example. sugar in everything! and salts.

In fact the odd pricing is organic and less ingredient foods which happen to be healthier, are more expensive here than the food loaded with hard to pronounce ingredients added to them. Half a box label of ingredients with mono/poly/tri/and such started ingredients. A chemist would know what the crap is. Our food makes us fat and sick so we feed the medical and health professions for pills , therapy and socializing gyms. So, food/medical/pharma/gyms all get a piece of the slice of your already small pie slice from the unbalanced American un-dream. The Corporates though have that covered by use of words to scare you into avoiding ideas like single payer healthcare which is labeled "socialism" as a boogyman word for example.

[Rockhopper]

Yep Len. Socialism is a dirty word in the US. Yet you have public roads, public schools, etc. All are "Socialist"!

Our National Health system is a Govt. guaranteed insurance scheme. Anyone who needs health care gets it regardless of their circumstances when they need it. Ambulances cost though, usually about $50.00.

Pensions will be around for a while here (as long as it sees me out) and after that who cares!

Tim.

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