The government will soon be launching a campaign aimed at 40-60 year olds encouraging this group to get more sleep. This campaign is part of a government initiative to  encourage middle aged men and women to live a healthier lifestyle and hence reduce their risk of developing a number of conditions.

Research has shown that over a third of the UK’s population get less than six hours of sleep a night and this is putting people at risk of a number of conditions. It is thought that people who get less than 6 hours of sleep a night have a 12% increased risk of early death and are also at a higher risk of developing diabetes, obesity, heart disease and a stroke.

As the black community is at an increased risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and stroke it is important that we do what we can to reduce our risk of developing these diseases and also improve our overall health;  getting more sleep is an easy way to do this. We should all be aiming for  7-8 hours of sleep a night.

For tips on how to get more sleep please visit the Sleep Foundation’s webpage – http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-tools-tips/healthy-sleep-tips