Lack of sleep does not only reduce energy levels. Chronic sleeplessness can lead to serious health consequences. Should you stick to a set sleep schedule or just sleep off?
Not getting enough sleep can have serious consequences. It lowers the level of concentration, which disturbs us at work, school or driving a car. Sleeping regularly for less than seven hours a night increases your risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Lack of sleep also reduces immunity, dysregulation of metabolism and weight gain, and increases the risk of falls and accidents. Prolonged periods of lack of sleep can also adversely affect our memory and cognitive functions.
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What is sleep debt?
Sleep debt, also known as a sleep deficit, is the difference between the amount of sleep we need and the amount our body actually receives. As sleep debt accumulates and gradually increases, the effects do not need to be felt right away. People can also cognitively adapt to chronic sleep restriction. However, chronic sleep failure can have serious consequences. That is why it is so important to maintain healthy habits and sleep hygiene.
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Further part under the video.
How to improve sleep hygiene?
First of all, we need to get to know our body and find out how much sleep we need. The average adult needs around eight hours of sleep, while children and teens need more.
To reduce the chances of your sleep debt accumulation, the first thing you need to do is stick to a schedule. If you do need to make some changes to your sleep patterns, it’s best to do so slowly and change your sleep hours at intervals of 30 to 60 minutes. The evening routine is also important, as it will allow us to calm down before going to bed. It can be a few pages of a book, relaxing activity, grooming, turning off electronics or dimming the light about 30 minutes before bedtime.
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Are we able to eliminate the sleep deficit?
The most popular ways to compensate for the sleep deficit are naps and weekend sleep. A short nap, lasting 10 to 20 minutes, can increase our memory, learning and mental performance for several hours. Unfortunately, a little extra rest can only result in a false sense of recovery.
According to a study published in 2021 by researchers from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, it is not enough just to sleep off to regain full health after a prolonged period of limited sleep. The researchers asked 13 healthy adults to monitor their sleep during the experiment. For the first four days, participants followed good sleep hygiene, then for 10 days they shortened their sleep by about 30%. The researchers measured the volunteers’ brain activity with the help of an EEG, while simultaneously testing their mental abilities with a task that requires high concentration. After performing the cognitive function test, study participants showed worse results during the 10-day sleep restriction period. When participants returned to proper sleep hygiene, the study showed a gradual but incomplete recovery. According to the findings, even a whole week of recovery after a 10-day period of limited sleep was not enough for participants to regain full fitness.
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