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New research presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting presented a significant correlation between improved sleep health and diminished feelings of loneliness, particularly evident among younger adults.

The study's findings revealed that enhanced sleep health is associated with decreased total loneliness, emotional loneliness, and social loneliness. Notably, this relationship is more pronounced among younger individuals.

Lead author and principal investigator Joseph Dzierzewski, a clinical psychology doctorate holder and vice president of research at the National Sleep Foundation, emphasized the urgency of understanding and addressing loneliness as a critical public health issue.

"Loneliness is an urgent public health crisis, and there is a pressing need for providers to better understand and treat it," Dzierzewski explained, according to Neuroscience News.

Highlighting the critical role of sleep in mitigating loneliness across adulthood, Dzierzewski suggested that interventions aimed at enhancing sleep health could potentially alleviate feelings of loneliness, particularly among the youth.

According to recommendations by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, adults should aim for seven hours of sleep per night to support overall health, productivity, and daytime alertness.

The study encompassed 2,297 participants with an average age of 44, with 51% being male. Participants completed online sleep health assessments and loneliness scales. The researchers employed correlation, linear regression analyses, and moderation analyses to interpret the findings.

Against the backdrop of a loneliness crisis highlighted by a U.S. surgeon general advisory in 2023, the study underscores the imperative of incorporating sleep health promotion into initiatives targeting loneliness reduction, especially among younger cohorts.

Lead author Joseph Dzierzewski pointed out the pivotal role of sleep in comprehending loneliness throughout adulthood.

"Our results highlight the important role that sleep plays in understanding loneliness across the adult lifespan. Perhaps efforts to improve sleep health could have a beneficial effect on loneliness, especially for young people," he said.

Dzierzewski also noted the need for further investigation into why younger adults may experience greater sleep-related benefits in combatting loneliness compared to their older counterparts, deeming it an area ripe for exploration.