More REM Sleep Tied to Lower Risk of 83 Health Conditions
A study of nearly 100,000 UK adults found that greater time spent in REM sleep was associated with lower odds of developing 83 health conditions, including heart failure and dementia. Researchers estimated sleep stages from seven days of wrist accelerometer data collected through the UK Biobank. The findings show a link, not proof that REM sleep directly prevents these illnesses.
Researchers from Peking University and Capital Medical University in Beijing drew on UK Biobank volunteers. From 2013 to 2015, participants wore wrist movement sensors for a week. Usable data came from 103,611 people; after quality and completeness screening, 95,559 remained, averaging 56.2 years old. A machine-learning tool, SleepNet, inferred sleep stages from movement patterns.
They linked these estimates to hospital inpatient records covering 1,049 outcomes. Over a median 8.9 years, they found 156 significant associations. More REM time corresponded with lower odds for 83 conditions. Models adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking, alcohol, activity, and environmental exposures. The design shows association, not causation.
This finding may prompt clinicians and sleep researchers to weigh REM duration alongside total sleep when considering long-term health risks. Middle-aged and older adults, particularly those using wearables, could become more attentive to sleep-stage patterns. Yet because the evidence is observational, it may not justify self-diagnosis or treatment changes; it could instead spur further study into whether REM sleep influences conditions such as heart failure and dementia.