Sleeping 4 hours leads to heart health problems
A recent study from Uppsala University in Sweden revealed
a worrying mechanism linking lack of sleep and heart disease.
The researchers found that :
- just three nights of interrupted sleep
- (about 4 hours per night) is enough to cause
- serious changes in the blood that are associated
- with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
In this precise study
conducted on 16 healthy young men :
researchers noticed a significant increase in the levels of inflammatory proteins in
the blood after periods of sleep deprivation. These proteins, which the body usually
produces in response to stress or fighting diseases, become a real danger when they
remain elevated for long periods, as they contribute to damage to blood vessels
and increase the risk of heart failure, coronary artery disease
and heart rhythm disorders.
What is worrying is that these negative changes appeared even in healthy
young men, after only a few nights of insufficient sleep.
The researchers also discovered that
exercise loses part of its usual benefits when the body does not get enough sleep
as the normal response to healthy proteins such as interleukin-6 and brain-derived
neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which support heart and brain health, is weakened.
The matter does not stop there
as the research team found that the timing of drawing blood samples plays an
important role in the results, as protein levels differed more clearly between
morning and evening in cases of sleep deprivation.
This discovery highlights the complexity of the relationship between
the body's biological clock and its biochemical processes.
This study comes :
as a wake-up call confirming that our bodies pay a heavy price for sacrificing hours
of sleep in order to work or stay up in front of screens. Therefore, a good night's
sleep is not just a rest, but a real investment in a longer, healthier life.
Sufficient number of hours of sleep
Everyone should take adequate rest and sleep at least 6 to 7 hours
otherwise lack of sleep may negatively affect health.
What are the most important benefits of early sleep?
There are many benefits of sleep, which we will mention below:
Maintaining heart health
People who do not get enough hours of sleep are more likely to develop high blood
pressure and high cholesterol levels, thus negatively affecting heart health.
Unlike people who sleep between 7 to 9 hours
they have regular levels of blood pressure and cholesterol.
Preventing cancer
One of the benefits of early sleep is preventing cancer
especially breast and colon cancer.
This is due to the role of the hormone melatonin in stopping the growth of cancer
cells, which is the hormone responsible for regulating the sleep-wake cycle.
The secretion of
- this hormone decreases with increased exposure to light, so you
- must sleep for a sufficient number of hours so that
- the secretion of melatonin remains at its normal rates.
Maintain weight
- Your meal intake may increase
- if you decide to stay up late
- or not get enough sleep.
The secretion of the hormone responsible for increasing appetite increases
and the secretion of the hormone responsible for feeling full decreases
when the number of hours of sleep decreases.
Here lies
the benefit of sleeping early by avoiding what was mentioned above
and thus keeping the weight from gaining.
Increased concentration
- Each of us needs to focus on
- doing our daily jobs
- or solving complex problems.
To increase concentration and do the assigned tasks to
the fullest extent, you must take a sufficient amount of rest.
Enhancing
the functioning of the immune system
One of the benefits of early sleep is enhancing the functioning of immune system
proteins and cells, so that it becomes more able to resist diseases.
It also becomes more able to recognize foreign objects that
have attacked the body and thus get rid of them.
Getting rid of
stress and psychological pressure
- A person becomes more angry
- and violent when he does not
- get enough hours of sleep.
This is in contrast to what early sleep does, as it helps get rid of
negative thoughts and energy, which relieves stress and psychological pressure.
Improving social relationships
Early sleep must improve mood, which reflects positively on social
relationships with surrounding friends and colleagues.