Sleep is vital for good health

Older adults that don't get enough sleep could be putting their health at risk, according to new research.

Marianne J Davey, director of the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association, explained: "We all need a good night's sleep and if we don’t we become physically and mentally ill.

"[While] we are asleep certain hormones work to repair and renew the body’s tissues."

If people don't sleep well, the hormones that work by day and those that work by night become confused and begin to work against each other.

Research has also shown that women with severe obstructive sleep apnoea are at a greater risk of cardiovascular death.

Men have been known to be at an increased risk of mortality through cardiovascular complications if they have sleep apnoea, however the study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine was the first to confirm that the condition affects women in the same way.

However, continuous positive airway pressure has been found to reduce the threat of cardiovascular death in women with sleep apnoea.

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