Poor sleep can make us feel years older, which is extremely detrimental to our health. Conversely, we feel significantly younger when we have a good night’s sleep, which also benefits our health.
In a recent study, researchers at Stockholm University examined possible connections between sleep and self-perceived age. It became clear that we feel significantly older when we are sleepy. The corresponding study results are published in the specialist magazine “Proceedings of the Royal Society B”.
Health effects
The quality and quantity of sleep has far-reaching effects on our health. For example, previous studies have linked poor sleep to an increased risk of high blood pressure and cognitive impairment.
It is also known that how old you feel actually has an objective impact on your health. Previous research has shown that feeling younger than your actual age is associated with a longer, healthier life, the team reports.
There is even evidence that subjective age predicts actual brain age, with those who feel younger having younger brains.
Sleep and the feeling of youth
“Given that sleep is essential for brain function and general well-being, we decided to test whether sleep also holds any secrets to maintaining a youthful feeling as we age,” explains study author Leonie Balter.
In two sub-studies, the team examined whether sleep and the subjective perception of one’s own age are linked. First, 429 people aged 18 to 70 were asked how old they felt, how many days in the past month they had not had enough sleep and how sleepy they were.
Feels 10 years older
The analysis of the survey showed that the participants felt on average 0.23 years older for every night with inadequate sleep in the past month, the researchers report.
The experts then examined whether the lack of sleep actually made the participants feel older using 186 people between the ages of 18 and 46, whose sleep was limited to just four hours per night in bed for two nights. For comparison, two nights with nine hours per night in bed were used.
According to the researchers, participants felt on average 4.4 years older when they were limited to four hours of sleep than when they got enough sleep. However, the effects of sleep on subjective age depended primarily on how sleepy the participants felt.
The assessment of sleepiness using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) showed that the participants in both sub-studies felt ten years older when they were extremely sleepy (KSS score 9) instead of extremely alert and awake (KSS score 1).
When participants were extremely alert, they felt around four years younger than their actual age, while extreme sleepiness made them feel six years older than their actual age, the team reports.
Far-reaching effects
The transition from wakefulness to sleepiness increased age by a remarkable ten years. This can have a significant impact on daily life and health, as a feeling of youth, for example, promotes a more active lifestyle and motivation to exercise.
Overall, the study results suggest that healthy sleep can also help maintain the feeling of youth for longer, which can lead to additional positive health effects. Sleep disorders, on the other hand, also have a negative effect on the perception of one’s own age. (fp)
