Everyone – from our mothers right down to our favourite health magazine – tells us that sleep is vital, that we need to get an average of eight uninterrupted hours every night for wellness. So why is eight the magic number? Matthew Walker, author of ‘Why We Sleep’ says there are serious side-effects if you don’t get this much shuteye, and that’s why everyone sensible endorses the idea of sleeping at least one-third of the day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have actually called sleep deprivation an epidemic, and rightly so. Here’s what happens if you don’t get enough sleep.
Your immune system takes a beating when sleep hours drop from 8 to 4-5, and you’ll find yourself more prone to coughs, colds, viral and bacterial infections, stomach ailments and so on. Also, the WHO has ascertained that there is a link between lack of sleep and cancer, with anti-cancer fighting cells reducing by a whopping 70 percent whenever you sleep lesser during the night. So even if you’re getting a two-hour afternoon nap, it’s no compensation for eight continuous fulfilling hours of sleep at night.
Lack of sleep causes your heart health to take a beating. It doubles your risk of a heart attack or cardiac arrest or even a stroke. When you sleep, your cardiovascular system reboots – so blood pressure and heart rate are evenly balanced. Also, enough sleep can prevent diabetes because the body regenerates its ability to process glucose in the blood effectively. You’ll also live longer – studies show that people who sleep less, have a 30 percent increased risk of premature death. Is that incentive enough?
Sleeping well is a mood booster. You’ll feel happier all day since your mind and energy levels are well-rested and ready to face the challenges of the day. Also, it increases memory and concentration, allowing you to focus on a multitude of tasks from programming to piano playing. Sleep and metabolism are also correlated. When you sleep eight hours, your appetite and weight are regulated since the body produces the right amount of leptin. You are likely to have a lower BMI (body mass index).
It may seem easy to prioritise everything else oversleep – work till late, socialising, cleaning the house (since that’s the only time you have)... but do remember, all of what you’ve prioritised won’t keep your health intact the way eight hours of sleep will. The easiest way to make a beginning is to keep aside 10 pm to 6 am, or 11 pm to 7 am as sacrosanct for sleep. Try and squeeze in everything else outside of those hours. Resist the temptation to do things like watching TV late into the night, which are not really mandatory – save that for weekends or your day off.