Nothing feels right if you haven’t had a good night’s sleep. That’s why you might have heard your friends say that they can sleep at any point! So, what’s the reason behind this? Well, they ignore their sleep and stay up until the wee hours of the night. That’s when their health starts to deteriorate.
Here are 7 SHOCKING things that CAN happen when someone sleeps for less than 6 hours:
According to Dr. Pritam Moon, consultant physician, Wockhardt Hospital Mira Road, Mumbai, most of us take our sleep for granted. No wonder, we are struggling with various health issues today. Oh, and the younger lot is at the center of it all!
- Cardiovascular problems: Lack of sleep can take a toll on your heart, thereby causing cardiovascular issues like irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack, and heart failure.
- Depression: “Those who fail to get a good night’s sleep may become anxious and depressed,” explains Dr. Moon.
- Declined cognitive health: Dr. Moon reveals that you may also become forgetful, since your attention span may reduce. It could also happen that you won’t be able to solve problems effectively. This is the reason most of us feel fatigued.
- Skin problems: Is the health of your skin getting worse by the day? Try and review your sleep pattern. Not getting enough sleep can give you dark circles, fine lines, and dull skin.
- Weight gain: If you sleep regularly for eight hours, your body can seamlessly maintain a regular appetite and hunger schedule. Not sleeping properly will increase your production of the hormone ghrelin, which is known to stimulate hunger. Moreover, it also decreases your production of leptin, which in turn, suppresses appetite.
- Loss of sex drive: Lack of sleep leads to tension in the body, which then causes a decrease in your sex drive.
- Poor judgment: You will not be able to make decisions efficiently, owing to the lack of sleep.
But why do some people sleep less?
- Sleep problems like insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome can really disturb one’s sleep.
- Aging can cause a majority of people above 65 years of age to struggle with sleep, due to various health issues.
- It could also be a consequence of other illnesses. Sleep deprivation is commonly seen in people, owing to depression, chronic pain syndrome, cancer, stroke, or Alzheimer’s disease.
- Stress is another cause of sleep deprivation that can give you a tough time.
“It is also common in the case of new moms. That’s because a changed schedule due to a new baby can disturb the sleep of the mother,” says Dr. Moon.
