My average sleep time is about 6 hours.
Do you think this is a long time? Or do you think it is short?
By the way, how much sleep do you get?
In this article, we focus on the “Relationship between Sleep Duration and Cancer.
What is the future of healthy sleep?
In recent years, much attention has been paid to the relationship between sleep deprivation and health problems.
Among these, the relationship between sleep deprivation and cancer has been investigated by many researchers and its importance has become clear.
By looking at this, I know if my approximately 6 hours of sleep is sufficient.
Let’s check with each other to see if we are all getting a healthy amount of sleep!
Improved immune system
Improved immune system
Improved brain function (memory, concentration)
Skin care effects
Prevention of aging without costing a fortune
Improved quality of life through stress reduction
Prevention of lifestyle-related diseases
・Lower risk of cancer 、、、、、
There are many benefits to the body when sleep deprivation is eliminated and good quality sleep is obtained.
The many negative effects of sleep deprivation
・Decline in brain function
Decreased concentration and memory
Decreased immunity
Obesity
Diabetes mellitus
Hypertension
Deterioration of mental health
Accelerated aging, 、、、、、, etc.
Sleep deprivation is believed to cause a very wide variety of diseases and mental health problems.
Among them, there is of course the relationship with “cancer”.
Studies have shown that lack of sleep increases the risk of colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, etc.
How Sleep Deprivation Increases Cancer Risk
The mechanism by which sleep deprivation increases cancer risk is not yet fully understood, but several hypotheses have been proposed.
Promotion of inflammation
Sleep deprivation has been shown to cause chronic inflammation.
Chronic inflammation has been shown to increase the risk of developing cancer.
Decreased melatonin secretion
Melatonin is a hormone that regulates the body clock and inhibits cancer cell growth.
Sleep deprivation leads to decreased melatonin secretion, which may increase the risk of developing cancer.
Decreased DNA repair function
During sleep, the body repairs damaged DNA.
Lack of sleep may decrease DNA repair function and increase the risk of developing cancer.
Cancer Prevention and Treatment with Good Sleep
Sleep deprivation not only increases the risk of cancer, but may also reduce the effectiveness of cancer treatment.
Therefore, getting quality sleep is important in cancer prevention and treatment.
What you can do to get quality sleep↓
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
It is important to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day in order to adjust your body clock and get a good night’s sleep.
This is difficult to do when you are a working adult, and while it is still possible if you live alone, it is much more difficult when you live with your family or children.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed
Caffeine and alcohol can interfere with sleep. Try to avoid caffeine and alcohol for a few hours before bed.
*I seem to be able to clear this up, as I have a habit of having a cup of coffee in the morning, and I rarely have two cups in a day, so I’m fine. Alcohol is easy to abstain from at work, so that can be taken care of.
Refrain from using your phone or computer before bed.
Blue light emitted from smartphones and computers can interfere with sleep. Try to refrain from using your phone or computer for a few hours before bed.
*I have heard that this is not a good idea, so I started social networking and blogging in the morning hours as much as possible. If I don’t do it in the morning, it’s because I have to work late at work or can’t do it at night.
Keep the bedroom dark, quiet, and cool
Keeping your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool will help you get a good night’s sleep.
This may be the easiest way to improve sleep quality, and anyone can do it. Let’s all start from now on.
Exercise moderately
Moderate exercise can help you get a good night’s sleep. However, refrain from strenuous exercise just before going to bed.
*I was not able to do this at all before. I have recently started going to the gym and trying to live a healthier lifestyle.
The blue line above this is what I am currently doing and not doing.
There are some difficulties for working adults and adults who do not have the irregularities of a day like students and cannot spend every day in the same routine, but if you give up, nothing will change.
We will need the desire to change and the ability to continue. Let’s change it into a good habit together and keep going.
Research on Sleep Deprivation and Cancer
Many studies have been conducted on the relationship between sleep deprivation and cancer. The main research findings are as follows
…people who sleep less than five hours have a twofold higher risk of colorectal cancer than those who sleep seven hours or more. (U.S. National Cancer Institute)
∙ People who are sleep deprived may have a reduced effectiveness of cancer treatment. (U.S. National Cancer Institute)
People who work night shifts have a 1.5 times higher risk of breast cancer than those who do not work night shifts. (World Health Organization)
