What happens when you get less than 6 hours of sleep?

Do you binge watch your favourite shows at night and stay awake till late at night, only to wake up for the 9 am shift? Or do you bring your office work home and work all night? or are you simply working an overnight shift?

There are so many reasons why we all sleep late at night. But do you know what the consequences of sleeping late and not getting enough sleep are?

You may feel fine after six hours of sleep, but really, everything from your energy levels to your health and mental performance will be impaired.

'Sleep' is very important for the functioning of our body. If you slept less, you may have noticed that you were irritated and in a bad mood. And an average adult should have at least 7-8 hours of sleep to stay healthy and wake up rejuvenated in the morning.

Here are 7 SHOCKING things that can happen when someone sleeps for less than 6 hours

Cardiovascular problems

Both short sleep durations (less than 5 hours per night) and long sleep durations (9 or more hours per night) have been shown to have a negative impact on heart health, according to an analysis published in the European Heart Journal.

Cancer risks

Shortened sleep is associated with higher rates of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer.

Declined cognitive health

Missing even one night of sleep can lead to some major cognition (thinking) issues, and if less sleep becomes a regular pattern, eventually your attention span may reduce. Memory, decision-making, reasoning, and problem-solving abilities in the brain deteriorated, as did reaction time and alertness.

Depression

Less sleep may also lead to anxiety and depression.

Skin problems

Too little sleep may also result in bad skin and a lot of skin issues like more fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin color, and marked looseness of the skin. The poor sleepers are also more dissatisfied with their appearance than their well-rested counterparts.

Weight gain

Lack of sleep can lead to weight gain, as your body will not be able to maintain a regular appetite and hunger schedule. Not sleeping properly will increase your production of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates hunger. As a result, it also decreases your production of leptin, which, in turn, suppresses your appetite.

Loss of sex drive

Lack of sleep may reduce your sex drive.

So, make sure to make a change to your sleep schedule and see a doctor.

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