Everybody knows that Sleeping little has immediate harmful effects , such as lack of concentration, decreased proactivity, clumsiness and drowsiness. However, little is known about the long-term harmful effects that the habit of insufficient sleep can generate.
Human beings need to rest between 7 and 9 hours a day , but a good part of adults do not get to sleep those hours due to the hustle and bustle of work life. Those who sleep only 5 or 6 hours (or even less) may be exposing themselves to certain risks. According to a study by the University of Texas, chaining seven nights with a lack of rest already causes important genetic alterations that can lead to heart ailments and obesity, among other pathologies.
In order to summarize and warn of the need to sleep the hours that our body demands, we offer you a list of 8 harmful effects of the habit of not sleeping enough
1. Increases the risk of cerebrovascular collapse
An investigation by the Mayo Clinic, in the United States, revealed that Sleep deficiency increases the chances of suffering a stroke Adults who usually rest less than 6 hours have up to a 400% risk of presenting stroke symptoms.
2. Obesity
Resting for a few hours increases appetite and the number of cravings for foods rich in fat and calories. This is explained because When we are not able to fall asleep, we suffer some hormonal adjustments that lead us to be hungrier
Sleeping 6 hours or less facilitates the production of the hormone related to appetite, ghrelin, while inhibiting leptin, responsible for regulating food intake, as noted in research published in Journal of Academy Nutrition and Dietetics.
3. Increases the risk of diabetes
The publication Sleep Journal revealed that adolescents who do not sleep well have more insulin resistance, a fact that warns of the close relationship between poor rest and the possibilities of developing diabetes in the medium or long term.
4. Memory loss
Everyone has noticed that When you’re tired, it’s easier to forget things However, the effect of permanent sleep deprivation can lead to long-lasting problems with cognition.
During sleep, memory storage processes are carried out, which allows the learned cognitive material to be ‘reordered’. If we do not rest enough hours, we do not benefit from this restructuring and cause brain deterioration, as noted in a study carried out at the University of California.
5. Bone deterioration
Research conducted by the Medical College of Wisconsin warned that lack of sleep can cause osteoporosis.
The study was carried out with mice. Scientists warned that The mineral and structural density of bone mass and spinal cord was reduced in rodents under circumstances of sleep deprivation
6. Increases the risk of developing cancer
The American Cancer Society discovered that sleeping only a few hours increases the risk of some types of cancer such as colorectal or breast cancer.
7. Increases the risk of myocardial infarction
Sleep deprivation can cause your body to make more chemicals and hormones that can lead to the development of heart disorders, according to research published in European Heart Journal. The study revealed that those who sleep little, for example less than 6 hours, have 49% risk of suffering from heart disease
An investigation made public by Sleep Journal announced that those who sleep less than 7 hours have a shorter life expectancy Those who sleep a few hours are four times more likely to die in the next 15 years due to different pathologies.
