Human bone mass begins to decline after age 35, with women experiencing a significantly higher risk of fractures post-menopause compared to men. A recent study published in the American Journal of Bone and Mineral Research indicates a significant association between sleep duration and fracture incidence.
Dr. Jane Caulley, a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, and her team analyzed data from 157,000 female participants. This included information on falls over 7.6 years and fracture incidence rates over 12 years. Results showed that women averaging only 5 hours of sleep per night had a 10.6% annual fall probability, while those sleeping over 10 hours had an 11.8% annual fall probability.while the risk dropped to 7% for those sleeping 7 to 8 hours. Compared to this, both insufficient and excessive sleep increased the risk of upper limb, lower limb, and hip fractures by approximately 25%.
Dr. Cowley noted that while multiple factors contribute to falls in the elderly, both sleep deprivation and excessive sleep warrant attention. Experts advise that actively improving sleep quality can help prevent fractures in older adults.