Feeling older than your age is linked to poorer sleep and worse daytime functioning

From medicalxpress.com

By American Academy of Sleep Medicine

A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2026 annual meeting found that adults who feel older than their chronological age reported worse sleep outcomes, including more insomnia symptoms, greater sleep-related impairment, and lower sleep regularity, with those sleep outcomes in turn associated with poorer self-reported physical health.

Results show that the mismatch between how old a person feels and their actual age, known as age discrepancy, was a significant predictor of all sleep outcomes examined, even after accounting for chronological age, sex, race, depression, and anxiety. Adults who felt older than their years reported more insomnia symptoms, more sleep-related impairments, lower overall sleep health, and lower sleep regularity. Mediation analyses further found that higher age discrepancy was associated with poorer self-reported physical health indirectly through its associations with insomnia severity, sleep regularity, and sleep-related impairment.

"Adults who felt older than their actual age consistently reported poorer sleep outcomes, including more insomnia symptoms, less regular sleep, and greater daytime impairment," said principal investigator Joseph M. Dzierzewski, who has a doctorate in clinical psychology and is senior vice president of research and scientific affairs at the National Sleep Foundation. "These associations remained significant even after accounting for chronological age, depression and anxiety."

                                                                                            Credit: Arina Krasnikova from Pexels

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, sleep is essential to health, and it requires adequate duration, good quality, appropriate timing and regularity, and the absence of sleep disturbances or disorders. Insomnia disorder is characterized by difficulty falling or staying asleep and is associated with impaired daytime functioning and overall health.

The study involved 3,177 adults (mean age 42.8 years; 49% female) who completed an online survey that assessed subjective age, chronological age, insomnia severity, sleep health, sleep regularity, and sleep-related impairment. Participants also completed measures of depression, anxiety, and self-reported physical health. Age discrepancy was calculated as the difference between subjective and chronological age, divided by chronological age, with positive values indicating feeling older and negative values indicating feeling younger. Correlational and regression analyses examined associations between age discrepancy and sleep outcomes, and a parallel mediation analysis explored indirect effects on physical health through sleep variables.

Dzierzewski noted that the findings have implications not only for clinical care but also for public health messaging around aging and sleep.

"These findings suggest how people perceive their own aging may have important implications for sleep and overall well-being," Dzierzewski said. "Understanding subjective age could help inform future approaches to support healthier sleep and quality of life across the lifespan."

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-older-age-linked-poorer-worse.html

Poor sleep linked to higher cancer risk in individuals aged below 50 years- study

From eastleighvoice.co.ke

Poor sleep may be contributing to the rising number of cancer cases among people under the age of 50, according to findings from two large studies presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

The research suggests that irregular sleep patterns could be linked to a higher risk of developing early-onset cancers, including bowel, breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers. In some cases, individuals diagnosed with insomnia were found to be up to three times more likely to develop cancer within five years.

The findings add to growing global concern over the steady increase in cancer diagnoses among younger adults. Over the past three decades, early-onset cancer cases have risen by nearly 80 per cent worldwide, increasing from about 1.82 million in 1990 to 3.26 million in 2019.

Cancer-related deaths among people in their 40s, 30s, and younger have also increased by about 27 per cent over the same period, according to global cancer burden estimates cited in peer-reviewed oncology research, including BMJ Oncology publications.

The findings add to growing global concern over the steady increase in cancer diagnoses among younger adults. (Photo: Freepik)

Researchers analysed health data from more than 18 million adults aged between 18 and 50 drawn from long-term health records and insurance-linked medical databases, allowing researchers to compare sleep patterns, diagnoses of insomnia, and later cancer outcomes. They found that people with disrupted or consistently poor sleep patterns were more likely.

Individuals with a clinical diagnosis of insomnia showed a significantly elevated risk of developing cancer within five years following diagnosis. In some cases, the risk was reported to be up to three times higher compared with individuals without recorded sleep disorders.

Researchers said the results point to sleep disruption as a potentially important and modifiable factor in understanding early-onset cancer risk, although they emphasised that the findings do not prove causation.

“Sleep health is increasingly being examined as part of broader cancer prevention research, particularly as traditional risk factors alone do not fully explain the rising incidence of cancer in younger populations,” the researchers said.

According to researchers, they argued that sleep disruption could be integrated into future risk assessment models if further studies confirm the association.

Experts caution, however, that the relationship between poor sleep and cancer is complex. While sleep plays a key role in immune regulation, hormone balance, and cellular repair processes, current evidence does not confirm that insomnia directly causes cancer. Instead, researchers suggest that multiple overlapping pathways may be involved.

One possible explanation is biological. Chronic sleep disruption has been linked to impaired immune function, increased inflammation, and hormonal changes, all of which may influence how the body detects and responds to abnormal cell growth.

Sleep is also essential for processes such as DNA repair and metabolic regulation, which are important in preventing the development of malignant cells.

However, experts also point to behavioural factors that may confound the association. People experiencing long-term poor sleep are more likely to adopt unhealthy lifestyle patterns, including reduced physical activity, higher alcohol consumption, increased smoking rates, poor diet, and weight gain.

These factors are independently associated with a higher risk of several cancers, making it difficult to separate the direct effects of sleep from broader lifestyle influences.

There is also the possibility of reverse causation. Some researchers suggest that early, undiagnosed cancer may itself affect sleep quality through hormonal changes, pain, inflammation, or psychological stress. This means that in some cases, poor sleep could be an early symptom rather than a cause of cancer, further complicating the interpretation of the findings.

A health specialist commenting on the studies noted that the impact of insomnia on long-term disease risk is an emerging area of interest in public health research. The specialist emphasised that while the association is noteworthy, it should not be interpreted as evidence that sleep disturbance directly leads to cancer, but rather as an area requiring deeper investigation through long-term cohort studies.

Another public health expert from a leading cancer research organisation said the studies explore a potential link between insomnia and certain cancers in younger adults, but stressed that more long-term evidence is needed before firm conclusions can be made.

The expert added that population-based studies following individuals over longer periods would help clarify whether sleep disruption is a true risk factor or a correlated condition.

Cancer specialists continue to emphasise that established prevention strategies remain critical. These include avoiding tobacco use, maintaining a healthy body weight, engaging in regular physical activity, moderating alcohol consumption, and reducing excessive sun exposure. While sleep health is increasingly recognised as an important component of overall well-being, it is not yet included among established causal risk factors for cancer.

https://eastleighvoice.co.ke/health/359747/poor-sleep-linked-to-higher-cancer-risk-in-individuals-aged-below-50-years-study

How Melatonin Impacts Heart Health

From health.clevelandclinic.org

There isn’t clear evidence that melatonin harms your heart — but finding the cause of sleep issues is key to long-term heart health 

If you’re dealing with insomnia and you’ve taken melatonin as a sleep aid, you’re not alone. It’s a popular over-the-counter supplement that many people swear by. But recent rumblings about its safety for your health might be making you toss and turn.

It’s important to clear up one thing right off the bat: There are currently no proven links between melatonin supplements and heart disease or problems. So, you can rest a little easier if you’ve been worried.

But that doesn’t mean melatonin is risk-free — or even the right solution for your needs.

Cardiologist Michael Hill, MD, walks us through the research.

Does melatonin use cause heart failure?

There’s no clear evidence that melatonin causes heart failure.

So, why the chatter? It’s because researchers found possible links between melatonin and heart failure. They used a health records database to compare two groups of adults with insomnia — those who took melatonin for at least one year, and those who didn’t.

They found that within a five-year period, the melatonin group had higher rates of:

• Heart failure
• Hospitalization for heart failure
• Death from any cause

“These are striking findings, and that’s why they made headlines,” Dr. Hill acknowledges. “But there are some important caveats.”

Dr. Hill explains:

• There’s no proof that melatonin caused heart failure: The research makes associations, but it doesn’t prove causation. That’s a huge distinction. It means there are patterns, but there’s no proof that melatonin is the driving factor.
• The findings aren’t peer-reviewed: “This is a research abstract, meaning a presentation of preliminary data,” Dr. Hill notes. “It must go through rigorous peer review before we accept the findings as fact.”
• Gaps remain: Because these are early findings, we don’t know the factors, like melatonin supplement dosage or treatments given to the non-melatonin group. We also don’t know if some people had sleep apnoea or other diagnoses.
• Heart failure can cause sleep issues: It’s possible that some study participants had issues because they were already in the early stages of heart failure and didn’t yet have a diagnosis. That would add more grey area to the findings.

“Based on the information available so far, we can’t say that melatonin causes heart failure,” Dr. Hill clarifies. “But the topic is on our radar, and we’ll continue learning.”

Can it cause other heart issues?

There’s not enough evidence to say that melatonin causes other problems, like heart palpitations or an increased heart rate.

One study from 2017 found possible associations between melatonin use and premature ventricular contractions (a common and typically harmless arrhythmia). But that study only looked at two adults. We’d need much more evidence to prove any links.

Why you might be feeling palpitations

So, if you’re taking melatonin and notice your heart racing, skipping a beat or flip-flopping, what’s up? Dr. Hill offers insight.

“Palpitations or an increased heart rate may be due not to the melatonin, but rather to sleep apnoea,” he says. “This common disorder is associated with both slow or fast abnormal heart rhythms and irregular beats, which can cause those unusual sensations.”

Many people don’t even realize they have sleep apnoea. But red flags include waking up tired every morning and needing naps to get through the day. If this sounds familiar, talk to a healthcare provider — especially if you’re noticing palpitations.

Possible benefits of melatonin for your heart

Now that we know there aren’t proven risks, you may be wondering: Can melatonin do your heart any good? Maybe, according to some evidence.

“Some randomized clinical trials have shown possible benefits of melatonin,” Dr. Hill shares. He notes that in a randomized trial of people with heart failure, those taking melatonin for six months saw improvements in:

• Symptoms
• Quality of life
• A blood marker called NT-proBNP (which usually reflects heart failure symptom burden)

“While this is a small study, it offers high-quality evidence that warrants further research,” he adds.

That’s right — some findings seem to contradict the research abstract! This might feel confusing. But that can be the nature of medical research. There’s not a single path going in one direction. Researchers explore all avenues to learn as much as they can, even if that means grappling with conflicting data.

“Another study has found possible links between melatonin and reduced blood pressure and cholesterol levels,” Dr. Hill says. “Melatonin likely isn’t the direct cause. But it could be helping you sleep better. And that, in turn, helps manage your blood pressure, cholesterol and other heart disease risk factors.”

Better sleep lowers cardiovascular disease risk

It’s a well-established fact that better sleep translates to a lower risk of heart and blood vessel problems. The opposite is also true — poor sleep raises your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Sleep is so important that the American Heart Association lists “get healthy sleep” as one of “Life’s Essential 8” measures for improving cardiovascular health. These are eight steps we all should try to take to protect our hearts.

But good sleep can be hard to come by. Enter melatonin. It may help shift your body’s circadian clock so you sleep soundly and wake up feeling rested.

If melatonin helps you sleep better, that’s great. But Dr. Hill cautions that it’s not meant for long-term use.

Short-term use is best

“Melatonin is best used on a temporary basis,” Dr. Hill emphasizes. “If you’ve needed it for months or years to achieve good quality sleep, talk to your primary care provider or even a sleep specialist.”

Dr. Hill describes why limited use is best:

• Melatonin may mask the reason for poor sleep. Taking melatonin as a sleep aid may help you snooze, but it won’t reveal the root cause of sleep issues. And that means you may go months or years without effective treatment for sleep apnoea, insomnia or other conditions.
• Long-term melatonin use may not be safe. “Less is known about the risks of long-term supplementation,” Dr. Hill states. “So, it’s a good idea to limit use to temporary situations, like when you’re traveling or trying to adjust your bedtime.”
• Melatonin supplements aren’t regulated. In the U.S., melatonin is an over-the-counter supplement, not a prescription drug. That means the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate its dosage or quality.

Talk with your doctor about safety

If you decide to use melatonin, talk with a healthcare provider first. They’ll make sure:

• It’s safe for you based on your health history.
• It won’t interact with any medications you’re taking.
• You’re aware of possible side effects, like dizziness, headaches and daytime drowsiness.

“Some research shows that melatonin may adversely affect blood sugar variations in people with diabetes,” Dr. Hill warns. “That’s just one example of a scenario where we’d want to be extra careful in using melatonin, even just for a few days.”

Make quality sleep a priority

Whether or not you’re taking melatonin, one thing’s for sure: Sleep is vital for your heart.

If a good night’s sleep feels like an impossible dream, it’s time to talk to a healthcare provider about treatment options. They’ll go over the possible causes, from excess stress, circadian disruptions and poor sleep hygiene to diagnosable conditions like sleep apnoea or insomnia.

“There’s no need to toss out your melatonin based on any of this latest research,” he says. “But ideally, it’ll mostly stay in your cabinet. Work with your provider to find sustainable, long-term solutions to the sleep issues you’re facing.”

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-melatonin-impacts-heart-health

Meet the 3 Overlooked Insomnia Triggers That Most Sleep Guides Still Fail to Mention in 2026

From sacbee.com

Insomnia research has moved well beyond caffeine and screen time. The newest findings point to causes most sleep guides still ignore, from the bacteria in your gut to the temperature of your bedroom to the sleep score you’re checking every morning. Here’s what the research says is really keeping you up. 

What Are the Most Overlooked Causes of Insomnia? 

The three most underappreciated drivers of insomnia right now are gut microbiome disruption, social jet lag and poor body temperature regulation before and during sleep.

A February 2026 study in Nature Communications of 6,941 participants found that lower gut microbiome diversity was directly linked to poorer sleep quality, a later chronotype and greater social jet lag, connecting 137 bacterial species to specific sleep characteristics. 

Body temperature regulation is equally underappreciated. Core body temperature needs to drop to initiate sleep, and small disruptions to that process can stall onset or fragment deep sleep entirely. Understanding how pre-sleep breathing techniques connect to sleep onset adds useful context alongside these newer findings. 

Then there’s orthosomnia, coined by Northwestern University researchers to describe insomnia triggered by fixating on sleep tracker data. Patients were losing sleep because their wearable’s score was making them anxious. The tool meant to fix sleep was breaking it. 

How Does Gut Health Affect Insomnia? 

Gut health affects insomnia through a two-way communication loop between your microbiome and your brain. When that ecosystem is disrupted, sleep suffers.

The Nature Communications study found that participants with less diverse microbiomes consistently slept worse. A September 2025 review in Medicina explains why: the gut produces short-chain fatty acids that regulate inflammation and nervous system pathways tied to sleep. When that production drops, systemic inflammation rises and sleep quality falls with it. 

Poor sleep also degrades the microbiome, which then makes sleep worse. Breaking the cycle means addressing both ends. Varied plant intake, fermented foods like yogurt and kimchi and consistent eating patterns are the most accessible starting points. 

What Is Social Jet Lag and Can It Cause Insomnia? 

Social jet lag is the mismatch between your weekday and weekend sleep schedule, and it functions like flying across time zones every single week. Shift from a 6 a.m. weekday alarm to sleeping until 10 a.m. on weekends, and your circadian system never fully settles — which makes Sunday-night insomnia and Monday-morning fatigue almost inevitable.

The Nature Communications study tied social jet lag directly to gut microbiome disruption. The Medicina review found it suppresses short-chain fatty acid production and promotes systemic inflammation, both of which feed back into worse sleep. 

To measure yours, calculate the midpoint of your sleep on a typical workday versus a free day. A difference of an hour or more is measurable social jet lag. Keeping your wake time within about an hour across all seven days, including weekends, is the most effective fix available. 

Can a Hot Bath Actually Help You Sleep? 

Yes. Warming your body raises skin temperature, which triggers a compensatory drop in core body temperature. That drop is one of the strongest physiological cues your brain uses to initiate sleep. 

A UCSF-led randomized trial updated February 2026 is testing passive body heating via sauna blanket as an add-on to CBT-I, specifically because roughly half of people who complete CBT-I still experience residual symptoms. A Scientific Reports study of 72 participants found that external body cooling during sleep significantly increased slow-wave N3 sleep, the deepest restorative stage.

A warm bath about 90 minutes before bed is the most practical version of this. Keep your bedroom cool overnight to reinforce the effect. 

Can Your Sleep Tracker Be Making Insomnia Worse? 

It can. Northwestern University researchers coined “orthosomnia” to describe insomnia driven by anxiety over tracker data. Patients were losing sleep specifically because they were fixating on nightly scores from devices like Oura and Whoop, turning a wellness tool into a source of performance anxiety. 

The fix isn’t to throw the tracker away. It’s to check weekly trends rather than nightly scores, where normal variation becomes far less alarming. If your sleep score is the first thing you reach for every morning and it’s shaping your mood, a two-week tracker break is worth trying before anything else. 

Is CBT-I the Best Treatment for Chronic Insomnia? 

CBT-I is the first-line clinical recommendation for chronic insomnia ahead of sleeping pills, and its effects tend to last well after treatment ends. It works by retraining the thoughts and behaviours that sustain sleeplessness rather than chemically sedating the problem away.

That said, roughly half of CBT-I completers still have residual symptoms per the UCSF trial documentation, which is why researchers are testing body-based additions like passive heating alongside it. Digital and telehealth CBT-I programs have made access significantly easier in recent years and are a practical starting point before escalating to medication. 

This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.

https://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/living/article315892589.html