Lack of sleep can double your risk of three chronic health conditions
A lack of sleep can have serious consequences for our health and one doctor has shared the chronic conditions people are more at risk of
We all understand the significance of a good night's rest, yet it appears 70% of adults are still failing to achieve the NHS-recommended seven hours, according to fresh data. And for those who are battling to get sufficient slumber, alarming new research has now disclosed that fewer than seven hours of sleep nightly can double the risk of diabetes, heart disease and weight gain.
In a nationwide study of 1,000 people aged between 18 to 99, sleep experts at the Land of Beds collaborated alongside GP Dr Katrina O'Donnell to examine how inadequate sleep impacts people's health, work and finances. The findings disclosed the UK has a mounting sleep crisis with 45% of people awakening regularly throughout the night and 47% confessing they wake up exhausted almost every day. The survey also discovered that 56% of people spend more money on non-essential items and impulse purchases following a poor night's sleep, whilst 40% specifically regret financial decisions made when fatigued, reports the Mirror.
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According to Dr O'Donnell, sleeping fewer than seven hours per night can have devastating effects on the body.
She said: "Poor sleep can damage every system in the body resulting in poor health. Sleeping just five to six hours a night doubles the risk of being diagnosed with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes and raises the risk of high blood pressure.
"People with very short sleep times, four or fewer hours a night, are twice as likely to have high blood pressure."
Dr O'Donnell has warned that if poor sleep becomes a chronic issue, it could potentially increase the risk of developing dementia.
She further explained: "Sleep deprivation is linked to many risk factors for heart disease, including unhealthy levels of cholesterol and higher levels of stress hormones and substances that indicate inflammation.
"People with poor sleep patterns are more likely to develop depression if it becomes a chronic issue and research has increasingly linked sleep disturbance to increased risk of dementia.
"Experts believe that sleep helps clear the brain of amyloid, the protein thought to damage nerve cells in Alzheimer's."
Dr O'Donnell advised that anyone suffering from chronic and persistent sleep problems should seek help from their GP.
She urged: "Anyone who suffers with poor sleep for three months or more should seek medical advice from their GP."
