Still awake? People over 50 years old who sleep five hours or less a night might be at higher risk of developing multiple chronic diseases, according to a new study released Oct. 18. The chronic diseases tracked in the study included: diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, liver disease, depression, dementia, mental disorders, Parkinson’s and arthritis. The peer-reviewed study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, examined 8,000 civil servants in the United Kingdom who had no chronic disease at age 50 over the course of 25 years. During that time span, scientists of the study asked all the participants to report how much sleep they got every four to five years for tracking. According to results from the study, those who slept five hours or less faced a 30% higher risk for chronic illnesses than those who got at least seven hours of sleep. Visit the link in bio for more details.