A recent study found that too little and too much sleep were both associated with cognitive impairment, including lapses in attention, memory and problem-solving skills.“Observational analyses are limited by reverse causality — meaning that if an association between sleep habits and PAD is found, we cannot be certain if sleep habits caused PAD or having PAD caused the sleep habits,” Yuan said.
Because the relationship goes both ways, PAD was also associated with an increased likelihood of a short night’s sleep. “The results indicate that brief nighttime sleep can raise the chance of developing PAD and that having PAD increases the risk of getting insufficient sleep,” said Yuan. When the team performed an observational analysis of long sleep , they found that the 53,416 adults they looked at had a 24 per cent greater risk of PAD compared to those getting to seven to eight hours of nightly rest. The finding was supported in two other population samples, but no causal relationship was found the two variables.
“More studies are needed on the relationships between lengthy nighttime sleep, daytime napping and PAD,” Yuan said. “Although we found associations in the observational studies, we could not confirm causality.” “More research is needed on how to interrupt the bidirectional link between short sleep and PAD. Lifestyle changes that help people get more sleep, such as being physically active, may lower the risk of developing PAD. For patients with PAD, optimizing pain management could enable them to have a good night’s sleep.”