Chronic sleeplessness raises the risk of many illnesses and accidents. It also weakens our quality of life and our ability to operate properly, researchers point out.
The new survey involved looking at the health and wellbeing of Finnish twins. Out of the 12,500 adult twins who took part, one fifth said they were suffering from sleeplessness. Waking up during the night and not feeling refreshed after sleep were typical symptoms.
Out of the women who slept normally seven percent died early. Out of the men 22 per cent who slept badly were more likely to die early.
The research is a collaboration between the Institute of Occupational Health, the University of Helsinki and the National Institute for Health and Welfare. The results are published in the July issue of Sleep magazine.
