Want to sleep better at night? Make some new friends. A new study suggests that being more social can significantly improve sleep in seniors.
Previous studies have linked social connectedness to many health benefits such as improved mental well-being and a lower risk of heart disease. However, the latest study is the first to connect social participation with better sleep. Researchers said this is important because poor sleep can increase the risk of chronic diseases as well as death.
Lead researcher Jen-Hao Chen of the University of Missouri-Columbia examined how social participation affected sleep by analyzing five years worth of data from the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project.
Chen and his team compared sleep outcomes to three components of social participation: attending religious activities, volunteering and other organized group activities. Their analysis revealed that greater levels of social participation correlated with better sleep in older adults.
However, researchers emphasized that correlation does not mean causation, meaning that social participants does not necessarily lead to better sleep. Chen, an assistant professor of health sciences at the MU School of Health Professions and the Truman School of Public Affairs, noted that the findings could also mean that older adults with healthy sleep patterns are more likely to be actively social.
Nevertheless, researchers said that the latest findings show there is a link between social activity and sleep quality.
"When it comes to the discussion of healthy lifestyle, being socially connected and sleeping well are not often mentioned together," Chen said in a university release. "Yet sleep, just like physical activity and diet, can have significant impacts on our health outcomes, and is profoundly affected by our everyday social life."
"To promote sleep health we must consider a comprehensive approach that emphasizes the role of engaging in our communities, as well as getting enough and better sleep," he explained. "Social connectedness is a key component for health and well-being for older adults. Close connections to, and participation in, social groups provides a sense of belonging and can be essential for healthy aging."
The latest findings are published in the Journal of Social Science and Medicine.
