Christian Benedict presents new sleep findings in A-course podcast

Benedict i a-kursen

Just a minute… Christian Benedict, sleep researcher at Uppsala University, who in this week's episode of the A-course podcast talks about whether beauty sleep really works and presents new research on the importance of sleep as a protective factor against digestive system cancer.

What brought you to the A-course?
– I met podhost Emma Frans in connection with a lecture for high school students and shortly afterwards she invited me to participate in the podcast. Emma's curious approach combined with her ability to convey science in a relevant way made it an easy decision to accept.

Christian Benedict föreläser i Uppsala universitetsaula

Christian Benedict lecturing in the University Grand Auditorium

What insights do you hope to give the listeners?
– That firm sleep routines are incredibly important for our well-being, but also that it is just one of many factors we need to take care of. In some contexts, sleep is a Ronaldo on top, other times it is an important complementary player. In short, it is important not to overdramatize, because then there is a risk of arousing stress reactions that contribute to us lying awake worrying at night.

What concrete tips do you offer in the episode?
– That one night of sleep deprivation does indeed make us less attractive in the eyes of others, but that the difference is, to be honest, quite small. I also talk about our latest publication where we show that insufficient sleep does not affect the positive effect that a healthy diet has on reducing the risk of developing digestive system cancer, for example in the colon and small intestine.

So possible colon cancer is not an argument for early bedtime?
– Well, we have seen that insufficient sleep can contribute to smoking, obesity and type 2 diabetes, which in turn can cause an increased risk of digestive system cancer. But the best thing is to eat a lot of fiber, fruit, vegetables and less red meat and then sleep well with the knowledge of the healthy effects it generates.

When will Christian Benedict offer sleep tips next?
– Already this Thursday, a more detailed interview that I did with Emma Frans while recording the A-course will be available for streaming. In parallel, Swedish Television has presented plans for a program series with a scientific focus on sleep where I participate in early talks, which if it becomes a reality would be incredibly inspiring to join in on.

Facts

  • Christian Benedict's research group studies how disturbances in circadian rhythm and sleep loss affect health and performance.
  • In the spring of 2023, Christian Benedict participated in SVT's Sov Gott, which reached an average of 600,000 viewers per episode. In October 2023 he published the book Sov dig till ett bättre liv.

Kontakt

Christian Benedict, sömnforskare
Institutionen för farmaceutisk biovetenskap
Christian.Benedict@farmbio.uu.se

Text: Magnus Alsne, foto: Stefan Tell, Mikael Wallerstedt m fl

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