People who look after their teeth less likely to get insomnia

People who look after their teeth are less likely to suffer from insomnia, new research suggests.

Pensioners with less than 10 teeth often do not get the recommended seven hours of sleep a night, with some getting by on less than four hours, a Japanese study found, according to the Daily Mail report.

Missing teeth are thought to affect how the tongue lies in the mouth, which may lead to obstructive sleep apnoea ( OSA), according to the researchers. OSA occurs when the walls of the throat relax and narrow during sleep, interrupting normal breathing.

Previous research suggests insomnia increases an elderly person's risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and depression.

Results, published in the journal Sleep Medicine, suggest that having less than 10 teeth is associated with sleeping less than four, and more than seven, hours a night.

The researchers wrote: “The finding that older adults with fewer teeth had both shorter and longer sleep durations indicates that these individuals may be suffering from OSA.”

According to the most recent research, elderly people with 20 teeth are the most likely to get the recommended seven hours of shut eye a night.

The scientists add: “The results of this study imply that interventions that promote dental health would support healthy ageing among older adults.”