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Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality than sleep duration (2023)

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Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality than sleep duration (2023)

#11
post #8

This is probably correlated with so many other cofounding factors, like employment/stress/substance abuse

> Results were adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, and sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health factors.

Whew, glad we covered all 6 of the known possible confounding variables.

Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality than sleep duration (2023)

#13
> We aimed to assess the relationship of objectively measured sleep regularity with risk for all-cause mortality, and mortality from cardiometabolic causes and cancer, in a large cohort (N = 60 977) who wore accelerometer devices for 1 week.

They look at one week of sleep data and then check mortality records about 10 to 15 years later. It's hard to argue a causative effect between one week of bad sleep and death potentially 10+ years out.

Obviously there's an implication that people with terrible sleep regularity in that one week snapshot had terrible sleep regularity chronically, which in turn had a causative effect on mortality, but we have to make a couple of deductive jumps to get to that conclusion. I'd really like to see the same study with longer term sleep data.

Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality than sleep duration (2023)

#14
post #7

Does anyone else consistently get 6 to 7 hours of sleep no matter what? It doesn't feel optimal and I feel great on the rare days I get 8 hours, but I can function just fine on less. Also cannot easily fall back asleep if woken up which is really frustrating.

On my days off, I can sleep 12 hours if I don't set an alarm. And I could easily do more, if I didn't force myself out of bed.

Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality than sleep duration (2023)

#15
post #2

Interesting, I have a DEC2 mutation and don't need much sleep, but I do sleep very consistently. When I was first working through this discovery, I asked the dr how it was that people who have this have no adverse effects when folks always say not sleeping long enough is bad for your health and he said "well, we don't really know that's true" and kinda shrugged it off.

I recall watching a documentary on Discovery way back, where they followed some multiday ultramaraton competitors. They'd draw blood samples, measure vitals and have them answer mental acuity questionnaires each time they stopped for food or sleep.

The competitors limited themselves to power naps, max 30 minutes though often just ten minutes.

The scientist found that all the physical adverse effects of sleep deprivation were negated by the short power naps. Though IIRC the mental acuity did drop some as the event progressed.

Been at least 15 years since I saw the program so might misrember some parts, but I clearly recall the physical effects of the power naps.

Keep in mind these were quite fit athletes though.

Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality than sleep duration (2023)

#16
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Results were adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, and sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health factors.

Whew, glad we covered all 6 of the known possible confounding variables.

You are willfully taking more away from that than was stated. Such a fallacy is a favorite trope among science denialists, and those who would distort the objectivity of research for misinformed (and/or dishonest) ends. I don’t know what, if any, specific motivations you have, but I think it’s worth pointing out.

Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality than sleep duration (2023)

#17
post #13

> We aimed to assess the relationship of objectively measured sleep regularity with risk for all-cause mortality, and mortality from cardiometabolic causes and cancer, in a large cohort (N = 60 977) who wore accelerometer devices for 1 week. They look at one week of sleep data and then check mortality records about 10 to 15 years later. It's hard to argue a causative effect between one week of bad sleep and death pot…

> It's hard to argue a causative effect between one week of bad sleep and death potentially 10+ years out.

Statistically—absolutely, I agree with you, but controls and sample sizes can always be improved.

Narratively—it's also not difficult to see: "gunk builds up in brain; gunk requires regular removal; sleep removes gunk; stable sleep removes gunk better than unstable sleep"

It's difficult to blame people for emotionally attaching more to the latter than the former.

Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality than sleep duration (2023)

#18
I wish some of the sleeping/eating studies covered the options "sleep when I'm tired" and "eat when I'm hungry."

When remote work is an option, it'd be nice to know the health opportunity cost of RTO. Sadly the cohort is too hard to study outside of nursing home residents.

Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality than sleep duration (2023)

#19
post #13

> We aimed to assess the relationship of objectively measured sleep regularity with risk for all-cause mortality, and mortality from cardiometabolic causes and cancer, in a large cohort (N = 60 977) who wore accelerometer devices for 1 week. They look at one week of sleep data and then check mortality records about 10 to 15 years later. It's hard to argue a causative effect between one week of bad sleep and death pot…

> It's hard to argue a causative effect between one week of bad sleep and death potentially 10+ years out. Statistically—absolutely, I agree with you, but controls and sample sizes can always be improved. Narratively—it's also not difficult to see: "gunk builds up in brain; gunk requires regular removal; sleep removes gunk; stable sleep removes gunk better than unstable sleep" It's difficult to blame people for emoti…

It seems easier to see: "some people have lots of difficulties in their lives that makes them have an irregular sleep schedule; some people have lots of difficulties in their lives that makes them die early"

Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality than sleep duration (2023)

#20
post #13

> We aimed to assess the relationship of objectively measured sleep regularity with risk for all-cause mortality, and mortality from cardiometabolic causes and cancer, in a large cohort (N = 60 977) who wore accelerometer devices for 1 week. They look at one week of sleep data and then check mortality records about 10 to 15 years later. It's hard to argue a causative effect between one week of bad sleep and death pot…

> It's hard to argue a causative effect between one week of bad sleep and death potentially 10+ years out. Statistically—absolutely, I agree with you, but controls and sample sizes can always be improved. Narratively—it's also not difficult to see: "gunk builds up in brain; gunk requires regular removal; sleep removes gunk; stable sleep removes gunk better than unstable sleep" It's difficult to blame people for emoti…

Sure, but things that make narrative sense can easily fall down when examined - that's why the statistics are important and not just a rubber stamp. See for example https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regression_toward_the_mean
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