Scientists have established what causes sleep problems

 People who regularly sleep five or fewer hours a night may be at greater risk of developing depressive symptoms. This is evidenced by the results of a new study, The Washington Post writes, UNIAN reports, UAINFO.org informs.

It is noted that during the study, the results of which were published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, scientists studied data on the state of health of 7,146 people aged 50 and older in England. The researchers followed all participants in the experiment for an average of eight years. As a result, scientists concluded that elderly people who sleep five hours or less a day are more likely to show signs of depression years later.

As noted by the lead author of the study, Dr. Odesa Hamilton, certain sleep problems are often considered a sign of depression, but some findings of scientists show that the opposite is true - sleep problems can eventually cause depression.

Scientists suggest that people who sleep less than the optimal number of hours each night may experience depression because the ability to regulate emotions may be hampered by a lack of rest. Long periods of sleep deprivation can affect areas of the brain involved in processing emotions. A good night's sleep improves memory, mood and general health.

In order to improve your sleep, you need to pay attention to your sleep habits and environment - the time you go to bed, when you wake up, and the noise or light around you.