Can we get away with sleeping less?

Sleep in our culture is not understood as an essential component of mental and physical health. Productivity is overvalued over time spent sleeping. Recreation and time for fun also take time from restful sleep. Bon Jovi famously sings “I´ll sleep when I´m dead”, to cry out when partying. This frame of mind is everywhere including schools and at work. Teachers and parents expect students to study hard into the dead of the night, and be up and awake early in the morning. Children have access to sleep disrupting devices given by well intended parents. People in the workforce in this hyperconnected era are expected to be available and connected at all times. So, you might be wondering what is happening to our body and minds if we don´t get the 8 hours of shut eye.

Mathew Walker, a sleep specialist, will attest to the importance of sleep, pointing out some of the effects of being sleep deprived as the evidence of studies points out:

• Sleeping less than 6 hours is associated with a 45% greater risk of coronary heart disease and hypertension.

• The growth hormone that is specially released at night is responsible for healing your body and developmental growth, and will shut off when sleep deprived.

• Type 2 diabetes incidence is higher among people who sleep less than 6 hours. Healthy sleep deprived people become 40 percent less effective at absorbing glucose, compared to when they have slept well.

• Hunger and satiety hormones are disrupted when sleep deprived; weight gain and obesity are by-products.

• Plentiful sleep is associated with a healthier gut microbiome and better digestion.

• Testosterone levels plummet when sleep deprived, even in healthy young males. Males with sleep apnea, that commonly manifests itself as snoring, produce lower levels of testosterone. This has an effect on sperm count, smaller sized testicles, libido, as well as a detrimental effect on bone and muscle mass and strength.

• Fertility and pregnancy health are also compromised when women are not sleeping enough.

• The immune response which protects us from illness is not as effective with less than seven hours of sleep. The antibody reaction to flu shots improves notably when having slept seven to nine hours every day during the previous week to the shot. The presence of cancer killer cells in the blood goes down when not getting a full eight hour night of sleep.

• DNA, specifically capstone telomeres are damaged with short and poor quality sleep, having an accelerated aging effect.

• Not enough sleep during the adult life span is associated with an increased risk of getting Alzheimer's disease. Middle and older adults who treat their sleep disorders, slow their rate of cognitive decline and delay the onset of Alzheimer's from five to ten years.

• Sleep deprivation affects memory consolidation. Sleeping well before and after a learning experience enhances memory consolidation, therefore `all nighters´ common among college students, are counterproductive.

• After three days of full sleep deprivation, signs of psychosis and paranoia start to manifest. REM sleep is essential for brain and mental health.

• If sleep is chronically disrupted mental health issues are common.

There is no shortage of evidence of the reasons why we should be actively looking at the quantity and quality of your sleep, therefore I invite you to explore this further and look into the following resources.

Walker, M. (2017). Why we sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dream, Penguin Books.

TED talk: Matt Walker, Sleep is your superpower