My great grandmother lived to be almost 95 years old and that has always astounded me. How did she do it? And, even better, how can I and my older family members do it, too?
Well, new research has just been conducted to figure out why exactly some people are living longer and the answer may surprise some of you (at least it did to me): sleep! Yes, there's a lot of reasons why people are living longer but a big one is definitely getting an adequate amount of sleep.
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Granted, this isn't exactly the best news for me. I'm one of those that seriously requires at least eight hours of sleep every night (though nine would be better) but will have weeks where I don't get nearly enough sleep, and thus feel tired. Of course this is one of those days and, as I read this report, I'm a little angry at myself for staying up too late last night.
It also makes me feel hopeful, though, since UnitedHealthcare did research on the "secrets of aging success" and found that 71% of centenarians get eight hours or more of sleep each night. Also, about 80% of those people "regularly consume a balanced meal" and "point to social connections, exercise and spiritual activity as some of the keys to successful aging."
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So, ladies and gentlemen, that appears to be it! What you need to live longer is get plenty of sleep, eat right, exercise, plus see friends and family as often as possible. The last part will definitely not be a problem in my family, that's for sure! But I'm glad to know that the other things I'm trying to do (get adequate sleep, eat better and exercise more) are on the right track. Now I just have to make sure that the rest of my family does all this, too.
Do you get adequate amounts of sleep? Do you do all of these things to help you live longer? Share with us in the comments below!
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