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Loneliness may harm sleep quality for young adults
Researchers from King's College London have found that
young adults who reported feeling lonely were more likely to
experience poor sleep quality, daytime tiredness, and poor
concentration than their non-lonely counterparts.
Although loneliness is often perceived as a problem that
primarily affects older adults, recent research has suggested
that this is not the case.
However, according to the researchers of the new study,
less is known about how loneliness affects the health of
young adults - in particular, how it impacts sleep quality.
"In the present study, we tested associations between
loneliness and sleep quality in a nationally representative
sample of young adults," say Prof. Louise Arseneault, of the
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at
King's, and colleagues.
The researchers analyzed the data of 2,232 young adults
aged 18 to 19 years. They asked the participants four questions to measure their feelings of loneliness, including,
"How often do you feel that you lack companionship?" and
"How often do you feel alone?"
Additionally, the researchers gathered information on the
participants' sleep quality over the past month, including
sleep duration, sleep disturbances, and how long it takes
them to fall asleep.
The analysis revealed that the lonely participants were 10
percent more likely to have poor sleep quality than subjects
who did not report loneliness, and they were 24 percent
more likely to experience daytime tiredness and problems
with concentration.
These findings remained after accounting for a number of
possible confounding factors, including symptoms
of anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders.
Although the study was not designed to investigate the
mechanisms underlying the link between loneliness and
poor sleep quality, the researchers have some theories.
For example, they point to previous studies that have
identified a link between loneliness and an increase in the
"stress hormone" cortisol, which could lead to sleep
disruption.
Adaptado de: <
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317563.php?sr>
Acessado em 02 de abril de 2018.
Loneliness and poor sleep quality