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A recent study suggests that individuals experiencing loneliness and social isolation may find relief through improved sleep quality, particularly among young adults.
Researchers have found a significant correlation between better sleep and reduced emotional and social loneliness. This association is especially pronounced in younger adults, although individuals of all ages report feeling less lonely after experiencing restful sleep.
Joseph Dzierzewski, the lead researcher and Vice President of Research and Scientific Affairs at the National Sleep Foundation in Washington, D.C., emphasized the urgency of addressing loneliness as a public health crisis. This concern was underscored by the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office in 2023, which highlighted the widespread prevalence of loneliness even before the pandemic exacerbated the situation.
Dzierzewski stressed the vital role of sleep in understanding and mitigating loneliness across different age groups. He suggested that efforts to enhance sleep health could potentially alleviate feelings of loneliness, especially among young people.
According to recommendations from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, adults should aim for approximately seven hours of sleep each night to support overall health and alertness.
The study involved nearly 2,300 adults, with an average age of 44, who completed an online questionnaire assessing sleep health and loneliness levels. The results underscored the importance of incorporating sleep promotion into strategies aimed at reducing loneliness.
The observation that younger adults may derive more benefits in terms of loneliness reduction from improved sleep warrants further investigation, according to Dzierzewski.
These findings were recently published in an online supplement to the journal Sleep and will be presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Houston.
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