Insomniacs have one less thing to worry about: harmful as their condition can be, it probably won’t shorten their lives, according to the latest research. A team at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, reviewed 17 previous studies involving 37 million people, and found that while sleeplessness may be associated with diabetes, depression and dementia, it doesn’t appear to affect mortality. Writing in Sleep Medicine Reviews, the researchers said their findings could even help relieve the condition – since many insomniacs say one of the things that keeps them awake is worrying that their sleeplessness is harming their health. However, they noted that the follow-up times of the studies that they reviewed were relatively short, and stressed that more research was needed to confirm their findings. (The Week. 24 Nov 2018)

I have suffered all my life with inherited insomnia, shared by my extended family. On occasion I can be sleepless for 4 or 5 nights in a row. But a shorter life is the least of my worries. My problems are mild confusion, anxiety, irritability and a distrust of one’s own judgment. As per the previous posting, exercise is the thing that really helps. Sitting around does not. Ataraxia for me is assisted by visits to the gym.