LIFESPAN? NO, THINK HEALTHSPAN

THERE is nothing more ageing than illness — and some might ask, what’s the point of living longer if the quality of those years is poor?

While life expectancy is 82.9 years for women, and 79.2 for men, many people only remain healthy up to 65, according to Age UK. After that, our risk of heart disease, dementia, stroke and cancer rises, leaving millions facing spending the last 15 years of their lives crippled by ill health. That’s why, increasingly, experts are focusing on ‘healthspan’: the number of years lived in good health. The idea is to extend those healthy years.

Scientists are looking into the processes that govern age-related decline and our risk of diseases, and many say a healthy relationship with sleep is one of the key ways of lengthening both your healthspan and your life . . .