Sleep is necessary for us to survive and rest, and that is why it is one of the most essential thing our body needs. It recharges our body after the stressful day and the processes that go on while we sleep help the brain commit things to memory, and the cells regenerate and repair the tissue that has been damaged while we were awake.
If we do not sleep, nothing of this happens. We wake up in the morning cranky and we find it difficult to concentrate during the entire day. If this happens for a longer period of time, it may leave some serious consequences on our health. Actually, ample study has been done on exactly what happens to various parts of the body if we do not get our eight hours each night.
The study has discovered that sleep deprivation can cause a slew of serious and life-threatening conditions which may range from diabetes to cancers and heart issues. So, which conditions are connected to poor sleeping habits?
1). Alzheimer’s
In 2013 a study was carried out by a group of researchers at the Johns Hopkins University and it was found out that an insufficiency of sleep can lead to Alzheimer’s disease and influence the speed of the disease’s progression. This study was based on previous studies that have revealed that sleep is necessary for the brain to eliminate ‘cerebral waste’ or the garbage-like buildup that can accumulate and lead to dementia.
This study was conducted on 70 individuals, aged between 53 and 91, and it was found that those who reported getting poor sleep every night have showed a bigger amounts of beta-amyloid deposition in their brains, as the PET scans showed. This ingredient is known to be a marker of Alzheimer’s disease and has helped the scientists to conclude that the insufficiency of sleep prevents the brain to eliminate the ‘cerebral waste’.
2). Obesity and Diabetes
diabetes has been related to poor sleep long ago, but a recent study carried out by researchers at the University of Chicago unpacked how poor sleep can possibly cause obesity and eventually lead to diabetes. The amounts of fatty acids in the blood can influence the speed of the metabolism and insulin’s ability to regulate the levels of blood sugar. This is why the scientist tested the effects that lack of sleep has on fatty acid buildup.
The sleeping patterns of 19 men were examined and it was discovered that those who got only four hours of sleep over the span of three nights has increased levels of fatty acid in their blood between 4 and 9 a.m. this increase was about 15 to 30 percent over those who got 8.5 hours of sleep on average each night. This leads to increased degree of insulin resistance and pre-diabetes. Still, those who got more sleep, did not present the same obesity and pre-diabetes markers.
3). Cardiovascular Disease
cardiovascular disease is also connected to poor sleep. A study presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology discovered even more evidence for this claim. 657 Russian men were tested, aged between 25 and 64. their sleeping habits were followed for 14 years and it was discovered that about two thirds of those who experienced a heart attack had some sleep disorder.
Moreover, those men that complained of sleep disorders had 2.6 times increased risk of myocardial infraction, a heart attack that happens when the heart muscle dies, and a 1.5 to 4 times increased risk of stroke.
4). Suicide
as shocking as it may sound, a 2014 research discovered a link between higher incidences of suicide in adults and sleep deprivation, regardless of their depression history. The 10-year study was carried out by Stanford University of Medicine researchers and 420 individuals in middle to late adulthood were involved in it. 20 of these participants suffered form sleep deprivation and committed suicide. Consequently, it was concluded that people experiencing difficulties sleeping on a regular basis were 1.4 times more likely to commit suicide. Most susceptible were white males 85 years old or older.
5). Ulcerative Colitis
this is an inflammatory bowel disease marked by ulcers in the digestive tract lining. Crohn’s disease can also be a result of both sleep deprivation and excess sleep, a study from 2014 says. The scientists from the Massachusetts General Hospital discovered that the proper amount of sleep is needed to curb inflammation responses in the digestive system that can lead to two diseases.
Researchers have also found that the risk of ulcerative colitis increases as sleep per night lowers to six hours or less. It was also found that sleeping more than 9 hours also increases this risk, meaning that moderation is once again the key. This was tested on adult women only, and the risk of developing an ulcerative colitis increased despite factors like weight, age, habits of drinking and smoking etc.
6). Prostate Cancer
in 2013, a study was published in the journal Cancer Epidemology, Biomarkers and Prevention. In it, it was said that the number of patients suffering from prostate cancer was higher in people with sleep issues. 2,425 Icelandic men were examined and followed for three to seven years, all aged between 67 and 96, and it was found that the risk of developing a prostate cancer was increased in 60 percent of men who had troubles falling asleep. This number was doubled in people who had trouble staying asleep. In these people the chances of later stages of prostate cancer were also increased.
The researchers explained that this was due to melatonin, a hormone known to regulate sleep, whose lowered levels (due to exposure to too much artificial light, the cause of sleep deprivation) were found to cause more aggressive tumor growth.
