What could be so bad about staying up an extra thirty minutes to catch what you missed on the Bachelorette? And is it really that terrible, sneaking over to the fridge for a few snacks at 1 a.m. when you have to be up at 7 a.m.? Turns out, cheating yourself of sleep could be more detrimental in later life than we knew.
A recent New York Times article touches on the effects of poor sleeping patterns. According to scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, more parts of the body are negatively impacted by little sleep-namely, the heart, lungs and kidneys. Appetite, metabolism, immune system, threshold for pain and mood are all hit hard when you don't get enough shut-eye.
But we've known this for years-old wives' tales talk of sleep being the best medicine, while studies back up the fact that five or six hours of sleep make it more difficult to function than, say, eight hours of sleep a night.
Now, the sleep specialists at UofP claim that bad sleeping patterns also contribute to depression and substance abuse, particularly for people who are afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder. Associate professor Anne Germain recently found that people with PTSD often live out their past trauma while trying to sleep, during those eyes-closed moments between slumber and waking consciousness.
Germain is currently looking into what happens in sleeping PTSD veterans' brains, with aims to formulate more cogent forms of therapy to ease trauma, especially at night.
Additionally, older folks are more susceptible to stress interrupting their sleep. According to Human Chronobiology Research Program Director Timothy H. Monk, the elderly can ease sleep issues by keeping a regular sleep schedule, steering clear of interferences like late-afternoon naps and extra caffeine.
A few studies have also shown that less sleep could lead directly to extra pounds. Some of the factors are behavioral, (people who stay up later have more time to eat and drink), but there are a few scientific explanations behind it as well-leptin-a hormone that tells the brain when you are full-levels are lower in people who sleep less, while levels of ghrelin-an appetite stimulant-are significantly higher.
The body also doesn't process glucose as well, which could lead to Type 2 diabetes in later life. One study looked at young men in good health who were not allowed to sleep for more than four hours a night, six nights in a row. Their insulin and blood sugar levels mirrored those of prediabetics by the end of the sixth night.
Cardiovascular disease and stroke are also higher for people who sleep less than six hours every night.
As more studies reveal the detrimental effects of depriving yourself of sleep, give yourself more reason to step away from the late-night fridge activities, and save that new episode for tomorrow. Look at it as an excuse to be extra lazy. It's good for you.
