When they say you should get enough sleep, well, they really know what they will be talking about. A new study has found that the high incidence of cardiovascular disease in people of African descent is linked to insomnia.
The study was published by by the National Center for Biotechnology and conducted by medics from the Sleep Disorders Center of Howard University Hospital in Washington, DC, in the United States.
Both cardiovascular disease and sleep disturbances that include reduced sleep duration, insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, and disordered circadian rhythm have a markedly high prevalence in Africans and people of African descent.
Even with adjusted lifestyles, the high incidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes in black Africans and African Americans has baffled scientists.
The study found out that people that Africans and African-Americans who report sleeping for five hours or less are more likely to report having hypertension than those who sleep for seven or eight hours.
The study also found that about 50 percent of all people with obstructive sleep apnea are actually hypertensive. There is also a marked correlation between habitual short sleep duration with coronary heart disease.
How you can beat insomnia:
- Maintaining a regular sleep schedule
- Keeping your bedroom cool and dark
- Stopping smoking
- Get enough exercise
- Avoiding being pegged to electronics in the evenings and nights
- Getting a comfortable bed
With info from Africa.com