Live Longer Habits

For those of us who worry about sleep, each morning can feel like a race against the clock. We glance at our bedside clock, trying to figure out if we’ve had “enough” rest. 

The National Sleep Foundation suggests that most adults need between seven to nine hours of sleep each night. This advice comes from a 2022 study by the University of Cambridge, which looked at many other studies focusing on long-term issues like heart disease, diabetes, and mental health. 

The researchers note that getting a steady seven hours of sleep each night without big changes in that amount is important for our thinking abilities and overall mental health. People who sleep between seven and nine hours tend to have fewer ongoing health problems. 

But what if you often sleep less than that? 

Maybe you struggle to sleep well, or perhaps you're trying to wake up extra early to get more done in your day. Is this something to worry about, or does it not really matter? So, what’s wrong with only getting six hours of sleep? If you regularly sleep less than six hours, you may be putting your health at risk. Maryanne Taylor, a sleep consultant at The Sleep Works, points out that people often feel moody, frustrated, and irritated when they don’t sleep enough. Not only that, but lack of sleep can increase feelings of stress and anxiety. Sophie Bostock, a sleep scientist, explains the strong link between poor sleep and mental health. "People who don’t sleep well are twice as likely to develop anxiety and depression," she notes. 

The good news? 

Getting better sleep can improve mental health as well. Lack of sleep can also make us more impulsive and emotional. Bostock says that our brains are wired to see not getting enough sleep as a warning sign, making us jumpy like our ancestors were when predators were nearby. As a result, we might misread neutral expressions as threats and avoid social interactions, which can affect our decision-making abilities. In the long run, not enough sleep means we may find it harder to concentrate, learn, remember things, and empathise with others. 

What happens to our brains when we don’t sleep well? 

Missing out on sleep over time can lead to various health issues, including obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and even Alzheimer's disease. A study from May 2019 in Experimental Psychology looked into why this happens, suggesting that problems in our blood vessels and the build-up of waste in our brains could be factors. When people sleep less than seven hours a night, they tend to have higher levels of certain molecules that can harm our blood vessels and lead to inflammation. 

Research shows that not getting enough sleep can also lead to weight gain. A review of 36 studies in the journal Obesity found that poor sleep can throw off the hormones that control hunger, causing insomniacs to crave unhealthy foods, like sweets and fatty snacks. This can add up to extra calories and contribute to weight issues, leading to even more health problems like diabetes and heart disease. T

here’s also the link between sleep and Type 2 diabetes. A report in Diabetes Care found that people who get less than five hours of sleep each night for a year face three times more risk than those who manage to sleep six or more hours. Sleep is crucial for a healthy immune system as well. A study showed that those who get less than seven hours of sleep are three times more likely to catch colds than those who sleep eight hours or more. 

Recent research suggests that a lack of sleep might increase the chance of developing Alzheimer's. A report from Harvard Medical School found that people with sleep problems are almost 1.7 times more likely to have cognitive difficulties than those who sleep well. Chronic insomnia is also linked to a higher risk of kidney decline and failure, according to research from the University of Tennessee, which found that poor sleep raises risk by 1.5 times and 2.4 times, respectively. 

Heart issues are another concern. A thorough report in 2019 showed that there’s a connection between insomnia and high cholesterol and blood pressure. Sleeping less than four hours a night can significantly raise a woman's risk of heart disease. 

Should people who regularly sleep six hours a night be worried? 

Not necessarily. Taylor explains that short stretches of sleeping less than six hours, such as during particularly stressful times like job interviews, are usually not a cause for concern. "We all have those moments," she says. Bostock reassures us that there's no need to panic. “Many health conditions have multiple causes, so we need a lot of data to understand how different factors play a role. Overall, healthy people can recover from a few days of poor sleep after getting back to a proper sleeping pattern."

Source: msn.com