What you need to know
- Sleep is essential for your wider health, impacting everything from weight management to your brain health.
- Long term sleep deprivation is linked to health conditions like obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia and depression.
- Most adults aren’t getting enough sleep, with phones and other screens in the bedroom often blamed for this decline in sleep quality.
The link between sleep and wider health
A bad night’s sleep can do more than just affect your mood and your alertness the following day. Persistently poor sleep can lead to a wide range of consequences, often showing up in unexpected ways.
Sleep is a time for your body to rest, restore and repair itself. Lots of essential functions take place during sleep, and there can often be negative side effects if your body isn’t able to achieve this.
Sleep is a time for your body to rest, restore and repair itself.
How does poor sleep impact our health?
From a single sleepless night to chronic insomnia, there are potential side effects you should be aware of. These are the most common ways that poor sleep impacts health:
- Cardiovascular health – sleep loss increases your heart rate which puts you at risk of high blood pressure. It can also increase your risk of weight gain, leading to obesity, which can lead to further complications for your heart health.
- Metabolic health – a lack of sleep can disrupt essential processes, including hormone regulation, which can lead to an imbalance of hunger and satiety hormones, leading to overeating. It also puts you at increased risk of insulin resistance, which causes type 2 diabetes.
- Brain health – when you sleep, your brain flushes out toxic proteins which can build up in the brain. Chronic sleep deprivation is therefore linked to increased risk of dementia.
- Cognitive function – without sufficient sleep, you might suffer from poor concentration, forgetfulness and general “fuzzy thinking”.
- Immune response – rest is essential for your immune system, so long-term poor sleep is often linked to a weakened immune response, leading to more frequent infections.
- Mental health – a lack of sleep is linked to mental health conditions including anxiety and depression.
- Safety hazards – being sleep deprived puts you at increased risk of having an accident, tripping, or being in a car accident. Driving while drowsy is a leading cause of fatal car accidents.
From a single sleepless night to chronic insomnia, there are potential side effects you should be aware of.
What processes happen during rest?
When you are sleeping, your body engages in critical tasks that are essential to a healthy body and mind. This includes tissue repair, muscle growth, immune system strengthening and memory consolidation.
The brain will also clear out metabolic waste using the glymphatic system, which is the central nervous system equivalent of the lymphatic system. Heart rate, breathing and body temperature also decrease, which allows for energy restoration.
If you are trying to lose weight or gain muscle, then sleep will be an essential component in this journey.
What can be done to improve sleep?
Many people vastly underestimate how much sleep they are really getting. Wearable fitness devices can help you to understand how long you are sleeping for.
Most adults need around 7 hours of sleep per night, but many women find they need more, often up to 9 hours of sleep per night.
Improving sleep is often a case of sleep discipline and removing distractions. Scrolling on your phone before bed is often the worst thing you can do for your sleep health, as the bright light disrupts your natural circadian rhythms. This is why it’s a good idea to leave phones and TVs out of the bedroom.
Your bedroom should be sufficiently dark and a little cooler than other living spaces in your home. The ideal room temperature for most adults is around 60°F to 67°F.
Supplements can help to improve your sleep quality, including magnesium and L-theanine. Essential oils like lavender can also help to create a relaxing environment when you sleep.
Frequently asked questions
What causes lack of sleep?
The most common causes of a lack of sleep are stress, difficult travel or work schedules, shift working, poor sleep habits, medications, mental health conditions, nicotine, alcohol or eating habits.
What are the common signs of lack of sleep?
If you aren’t getting enough sleep, you might find yourself yawning throughout the day and struggling to concentrate. You might feel the desire to nap throughout the day. It’s also common for your eating habits to change when you are sleep deprived, so you might have cravings for high calorie snacks. A lack of sleep can also trigger mood changes, leaving you feeling more stressed or anxious.
How do your sleep needs change as you age?
Adults typically need around 7-9 hours of sleep per night, but older people might face a decline in sleep quality. They are more likely to wake during the night, which makes deep sleep more challenging. Reduced melatonin levels (the sleep hormone) also makes it more difficult to stay asleep.
