Reducing the amount of disruptions to your sleep can extend your life

Lowering your sleep age by reducing the amount of disruptions, improving quality of rest and getting an adequate amount each night can help ward of diseases like Parkinson's and extend a person's life by reducing their'sleep age', a new study finds. A joint research team from Stanford University and the Danish Center for Sleep Medicine found a clear correlation between the estimated sleep age of a person and their life-span. They used polysomnography tests (PSGs), which gauge multiple biometrics to determine sleep-quality and diagnose potential sleep issues in people to figure a person's sleep age. Elderly people generally suffer more disturbances, and a decrease in quality of sleep can be an early sign that a person will develop a cognitive impairment like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's or dementia in the future. A clear correlation between poor sleep and an increased all-cause mortality rate was found. A 10-year change in sleep age can extend or reduce a person's life by around 8.7 years.