Not Sleeping Enough? Ladies, It Could Take a Toll on Your Bones

Not Sleeping Enough? Ladies, It Could Take a Toll on Your Bones

Less sleep may negatively affect women’s bone health, says study.

Getting too little sleep is linked with a higher risk of having low bone mineral density (BMD) and developing osteoporosis, researchers have warned.

Osteoporosis is a disease in which bone weakening increases the risk of a broken bone.

Heather Ochs-Balcom, lead author of the study and professor at the University at Buffalo, US“Our study suggests that sleep may negatively impact bone health, adding to the list of the negative health impacts of poor sleep.”

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In the study of 11,084 postmenopausal women, those who reported sleeping five hours or less per night had lower BMD at all four sites assessed ⁠— whole body, total hip, neck, and spine — compared with women who reported sleeping seven hours per night.

After adjustments, women reporting five hours or less per night had 22 percent and 63 percent higher risks of experiencing low bone mass and osteoporosis of the hip, respectively.

Similar results were seen with the spine.

Heather Ochs-Balcom “I hope that it can also serve as a reminder to strive for the recommended seven or more hours of sleep per night for our physical and mental health.”

The study was published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

(This story was auto-published from a syndicated feed. No part of the story has been edited by FIT.)

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