Should you hit the snooze button? Is your partner a key factor in your weight loss journey? What to know about the latest health news.
There’s so much health and wellness news out there. Here are some of this week’s health headlines and what you can take away from them to improve your health.
It might be OK to hit the snooze button
Good news for people who can’t help but slap the snooze button every morning: New research published in the Journal of Sleep Research found that hitting the snooze button to catch some extra sleep may actually improve your cognitive function — or at least not negatively affect it, per the small study of 31 regular snoozers.
Snoozing for about 30 minutes didn’t seem to have a negative effect on stress hormones or mood, either. Corresponding author Tina Sundelin of Stockholm University said of the study, “The findings indicate that there is no reason to stop snoozing in the morning if you enjoy it, at least not for snooze times around 30 minutes. In fact, it may even help those with morning drowsiness to be slightly more awake once they get up.”
Why it matters: This research tracks with a 2022 study published in Sleep that suggests waking up for the day following two or even three alarms isn’t all that different from waking up after just one. However, there is a catch: While you may feel emboldened to sneak in that extra 30 minutes of sleep, it’s worth noting that the reason that you’re so compelled to do so may be because you’re sleep-deprived. Snoozing may be safe and effective for catching a few more minutes of shut-eye, but it may also be worth looking at ways to improve your sleep quality, which may involve a better bedtime routine or even focusing on mental health. After all, better sleep could help you live longer.
Want to be sharper? Try golf or walking
A new study of 25 healthy golfers age 65 and over found that playing 18 holes of golf or walking 3.7 miles significantly improved their immediate cognitive function. The research, which was published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, underscores “the value of age-appropriate aerobic exercise,” said Julia Kettinen, the first author of the article and a doctoral researcher in sports and exercise medicine at the University of Eastern Finland.
Why it matters: As we age, our exercise abilities change — but that doesn’t mean the exercise we can do loses value, both for our mental and physical health. While not everyone may be inclined to pick up a putter for a round of golf, it seems that the walking element is key here: Research consistently shows that walking has enormous health benefits, from reducing risk of heart disease and dementia to improving the quality and duration of your sleep.
You don’t need to bring your partner in on your weight loss journey
A study published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine looked at couples on a weight loss journey together to see whether their partner’s behavior affected their weight management. The researchers sought to find out whether couples had similar levels of self-control and ability to stick to long-term goals, which previous research suggested had the best effect on weight management. The new research suggested that couples aren’t necessarily matched in these ways, and while it is possible to improve these characteristics over time with behavioral changes, an individual doing so didn’t necessarily have an effect on their partner.
Why it matters: There are plenty of feel-good stories out there about couples who improved their lifestyles as a unit, but that doesn’t mean you need a partner onboard with a major change in order to accomplish one yourself. Instead of focusing on what your partner is doing, know that you can improve your own self-control and grit, which may make you less likely to care about your partner’s habits. “Sometimes people think of self-control as something that doesn’t change. But this study goes to show that with a behavioral weight loss program that teaches behavior change strategies, we can improve people’s self-control or goal pursuit,” said one of the study authors, Tricia Leahey, professor of allied health sciences at the University of Connecticut.
There may be even more benefits to the Mediterranean diet than we thought
New research published in Nature Mental Health found that participants who adhered to a Mediterranean diet experienced a decrease in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The research suggests that there may be a connection between the gut microbiome and mental health, and that the Mediterranean diet — which emphasizes vegetables, fruits and fish — has a positive effect on the growth of a bacteria that has PTSD-protective properties.
Why it matters: Gut health and mental health may go hand in hand, but you don’t have to be suffering from PTSD in order to reap the benefits of a Mediterranean diet. Other research on the Mediterranean diet suggests that this way of eating may protect against dementia, cancer and even depression.
