Less than 5 hours of night sleep may cause chronic diseases: Study

News Network
October 20, 2022

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Sleeping for less than five hours in mid-to-late life is associated with the risk of developing at least two chronic diseases, a UK study has found.

Researchers from the University College London (UCL) in the UK found that people who reported getting five hours of sleep or less at age 50 were 20 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with a chronic disease.

They were also 40 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases over a follow-up period of 25 years, compared to those who slept for up to seven hours.

The study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, also found that sleeping for five hours or less at the age of 50, 60, and 70 was linked to a 30 per cent to 40 per cent increased risk of multimorbidity, or being diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases, when compared with those who slept for up to seven hours.

"Multimorbidity is on the rise in high income countries and more than half of older adults now have at least two chronic diseases," said study lead author, Severine Sabia.

"This is proving to be a major challenge for public health, as multimorbidity is associated with high healthcare service use, hospitalisations and disability," Sabia said.

The researchers also found that sleep duration of five hours or less at age 50 was associated with 25 per cent increased risk of mortality over the follow-up period.

This can mainly be explained by the fact that short sleep duration increases the risk of chronic diseases that in turn increase the risk of death, they said.

"As people get older, their sleep habits and sleep structure change. However, it is recommended to sleep for 7 to 8 hours a night - as sleep durations above or below this have previously been associated with individual chronic diseases," said Sabia.

The researchers examined the relationship between how long each participant slept for, mortality and whether they were multimorbid – such as with heart disease, cancer or diabetes – over the course of 25 years.

The study analysed the impact of sleep duration on the health of more than 7,000 men and women at the ages of 50, 60 and 70, from the Whitehall II cohort study, which was conducted from 1985 to 1988 and examined the health of 10,308 civil servants aged 35 to 55, of whom two thirds were men and one third women.

"Our findings show that short sleep duration is also associated with multimorbidity. To ensure a better night's sleep, it is important to promote good sleep hygiene, such as making sure the bedroom is quiet, dark and a comfortable temperature before sleeping.

"It is also advised to remove electronic devices and avoid large meals before bedtime. Physical activity and exposure to light during the day might also promote good sleep," said Sabia.

As part of the study, researchers also assessed whether sleeping for a long duration, of nine hours or more, affected health outcomes. There was no clear association between long sleep durations at age 50 and multimorbidity in healthy people.

However, if a participant had already been diagnosed with a chronic condition, then long sleep duration was associated with around a 35 per cent increased risk of developing another illness.

Researchers believe this could be due to underlying health conditions impacting sleep.

The researchers noted that because the data used for the study was self-reported by the participants, it was likely to be subject to reporting bias, even though the findings were confirmed through electronic measurements of the sleep of 4,000 participants.

The research only involved members of the civil service, who were all employed when recruited to the study and likely to be healthier than the general population, they added.  

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Agencies
March 26,2025

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday claimed that he was not being given a chance to speak in the House which was being run in a "non-democratic style", and said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had made "unsubstantiated" remarks about him.

Gandhi's remarks came after Birla asked him to follow the rules of procedure that members are expected to observe to uphold the dignity of the House. It was not immediately clear what was the reason for the Speaker to make the observation.

The former Congress president said the Speaker made remarks about him and then adjourned the House without giving him an opportunity to speak.

"The Speaker just got up and left. He did not allow me to speak a word. He was speaking about me, and I don't know what he said about me, all unsubstantiated. I said, 'let me speak as you have spoken about me', but he did not say a word and just left. He adjourned the House when there was no need of it," the former Congress president said.

About 70 Congress Lok Sabha MPs, including deputy leader of Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, party general secretary KC Venugopal and party's whip in the Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore, met the Lok Sabha speaker and raised the "denial" of opportunity to Gandhi to speak in the House.

Speaking with reporters in Parliament House complex, Gandhi said there is a convention that the Leader of Opposition is allowed to speak, but whenever he gets up to speak, he is not allowed to speak.

"So, in what manner is this House being run? We are not being allowed to speak. I have not done anything, I was sitting quietly, I did not speak anything. In the last 7-8 days, I have not been allowed to speak," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

In a democracy, the opposition has a place, and the government has its own place but here there is no place for the opposition, he alleged.

Gandhi said he wanted to speak on Maha Kumbh last week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a statement on it but he was not allowed to speak.

"I wanted to state that it is good that Kumbh happened, and I wanted to speak about unemployment, but I was not allowed to speak. I don't know what thinking or approach does the Speaker have but the truth is we are not being allowed to speak. It (the House) is being run in a non-democratic style," Gandhi claimed.

Earlier, in his remarks, the Speaker said members are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the high standards and dignity of the House.

"Several instances have come to my notice where the conduct of members does not conform to the high standards," the Speaker said.

"In this House, father and daughter, mother and daughter, husband and wife have been members. In this context, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to conduct himself in accordance with Rule 349 that deals with rules to be observed by members in the House," the Speaker said.

"Especially, it is expected of the Leader of the Opposition to conduct himself as per the rules," the Speaker said.

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News Network
March 20,2025

Bhagalpur: A violent clash between two nephews of Union Minister Nityanand Rai in Bihar’s Bhagalpur resulted in one death and another critically injured on Thursday.

The incident occurred in Jagatpur under Parvatta police station, Navgachia district. The injured nephew is undergoing treatment at Bhagalpur hospital. Following the incident, top district officials rushed to the hospital, and an investigation is underway.

Naugachhia SP Prerna Kumar stated, "Around 7:30 am, we received information that two brothers shot at each other in Jagatpur village. One succumbed to injuries, while the other is critical. Initial reports suggest a dispute over a water tap escalated into gunfire. The deceased has been identified as Vikal Yadav, and the injured as Jaijit Yadav. Prompt action has been taken, and statements are being recorded. We also have information that they are relatives of a Union minister."

According to reports, the altercation between Jagjit Yadav and Vikal Yadav turned violent when one opened fire on the other. The injured man then grabbed the gun and retaliated. Both were taken to Bhagalpur hospital, where Vikal Yadav was declared dead, and Jaijit remains in critical condition.

During the clash, their mother, who tried to intervene, was shot in the hand. She is also receiving treatment at Dr. AK Yadav’s clinic.

Parvatta police station in-charge Shambhu Kumar confirmed that the dispute revolved around water and led to gunfire. Authorities are investigating further to determine the exact cause of the conflict.

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News Network
March 27,2025

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The Karnataka government has announced that Nandini milk will become ₹4 costlier per litre starting April 1, 2025. This is the second price hike this year.

The decision was made during a cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Karnataka Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna and Animal Husbandry Minister K Venkatesh said the increase is meant to support dairy farmers by covering the rising costs of producing and processing milk.

Officials also said that:

>> The extra money from the price hike will go directly to the milk producers.

>> The earlier ₹2 price hike (announced on June 26, 2024) will be withdrawn.

>> The new price hike of ₹4 will apply to both 500 ml and 1-litre packets.

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