What sleeping for less than 6 hours can do to you

Sleep is a vital restorative process with measurable effects on health and overall wellbeing but one in three adults consistently fails to achieve sufficient sleep, placing them at higher risk of cardiometabolic disease, depression, motor-vehicle accidents, and premature death, a recent study says.

The study of more than 47 million sleep records says modern life has created environments conducive to poor sleeping habits, with conditions that undermine sleep and make rest harder to achieve.

“Artificial light, late-night digital engagement, round-the-clock work demands, and the consumption of alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and other substances disrupt the biological processes required for healthy sleep,” the study says.

It says that individuals sleeping less than six hours per night (compared to those sleeping seven to eight hours), have a higher risk of developing diabetes, obesity, coronary heart disease and symptoms of depression, as follows:

• 65% higher risk of diabetes
• 41% higher risk of obesity
• 33% higher risk of coronary heart disease
• 20% higher risk of depression symptoms

Sleeping for nine hours or more is not healthy either as it is associated with a 34% increased risk of mortality.

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