Neurologist warns that irregular sleep patterns may increase health risks more than sleep duration alone

Conrado Estol highlights the importance of sleep regularity and quality, warning against the dangers of sleep-tracking obsession and irregular sleep patterns, especially among older adults.

Neurologist Conrado Estol has warned that sleep loss is far more common than many people realise, saying almost 40% of the population gets less rest than it needs. In remarks carried by La Nacion, he argued that the problem is not only how long people stay in bed, but how consistently they sleep and how well that sleep is preserved through the night.

Estol said that taking 10 to 15 minutes to drift off is generally a healthy sign, while falling asleep in under five minutes may point to chronic sleep debt rather than enviable sleep efficiency. He also noted that, after the age of 65, sleep complaints become increasingly common: around 15% of older adults struggle to fall asleep, 20% have trouble staying asleep and 35% wake too early.

The neurologist set out three main pillars of restorative sleep: regularity, quality and sufficient duration. According to his comments, keeping similar bedtimes and wake times throughout the week, including weekends, matters as much as the number of hours slept. He said this kind of stability is associated with lower overall mortality risk, while shifting sleep patterns between weekdays and weekends can make Monday mornings harder and raise the risk of depression. He also linked insufficient sleep with inflammation and cell damage in younger people.

Estol’s broader warnings have gone beyond simple sleep duration. In later comments reported by AS and Canal 26, he criticised the growing obsession with sleep-tracking devices, saying it can fuel “orthosomnia”, the anxiety caused by chasing perfect sleep metrics. He also stressed that sleep is a biologically complex process involving light, deep and REM stages, and said consistently sleeping fewer than six hours or more than nine may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia and premature death. He added that deep sleep tends to decline with age, that naps should remain brief, and that even low-level light from chargers, routers or digital clocks can interfere with circadian rhythms.